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Indian companies are the main sponsors of FIH World Cups
Amul, a Gujarat-based cooperative world giant, is also among the major sponsors of the FIH World Cups. Also, in the list of major sponsors of the FIH event is JSW, another Indian corporate house.
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Prabhjot Paul Singh - Fri, 21, Aug 2026
- 10:27 EDT
- 38
Brand sponsors at the event / Prabhjot Singh
If major international sporting events, including the Olympics and World Cups, are money spinners, they draw their financial support from both sponsors and TV rights. Like the just-concluded FIFA World Cup, the ongoing FIH World Cups for men and women have no title sponsors.
Gone are the times when Hero Group of India was the title sponsor of all major FIH tournaments worldwide. Though Hero Group and its new electric two-wheeler VIDA are among the major sponsors of the FIH World Cups in the Netherlands and Belgium, other Indian companies, too, figure prominently on the list of major sponsors.
Amul, a Gujarat-based cooperative world giant, is also among the major sponsors of the FIH World Cups. Also, in the list of major sponsors of the FIH event is JSW, another Indian corporate house.
For the Royal Netherlands Hockey Board, Rabo Bank has been a long-time sponsor of all major FIH events played in and outside the Netherlands.
Though the FIH World Cup Hockey Tournaments, both for men and women, or combined, are much smaller than the FIFA World Cup, yet response from corporate houses of other major hockey-playing nations like England, Spain, France, Australia, Pakistan, and New Zealand varies from poor to lukewarm.
Even the hockey legend Richard Charlesworth admits that field hockey does not get anywhere near soccer in getting state or corporate houses' backing. “Even Australian media does not give enough space to field hockey. I am here as a representative of Australian media to create both awareness and increased following for the sport in the Australian continent,” he adds.
The International Hockey Federation, better known as FIH, has been increasingly getting into the organisation of the tournaments, thus limiting the role of the national or continental hockey federations to hold their independent tournaments. The FIH wants its share as and when it allocates one of its sponsored tournaments.
The FIH calendar has become increasingly crowded, leaving little or no scope for the continental or national federations to plan their own tournaments.
“Hockey is nowhere near soccer in getting sponsorship that has much larger appeal for the masses,” says Richard Charlesworth, holding that “soccer players draw much more and have many corporate houses sponsoring its major events.
European hockey dominates because of several reasons. The foremost reason has been the geographical factors. Distances are small and manageable. For a country like Australia, distances are huge, and it is difficult for players to assemble and train on a regular basis. Players in Germany, Belgium and Netherlands enjoy the advantage of getting together even on weekends to train and practice together.
One of the important factors for corporate houses to get into action is the impact or advantage they derive from sponsoring events. They advertise because they are assured of substantial mileage. Hero Group has been doing it as the world’s leading two-wheeler producer and has the world market to sell its product.
Amul has joined Hero in sponsoring World sporting events, as its products, especially dairy, have now worldwide clientele. The same is the story of JSW.
Besides corporate houses, Hockey India has been getting massive support from the State and central Government. Odisha, for example, has been the single largest sponsor of Indian hockey for the last two decades. Some other States like Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Tamil Nadu have tried to emulate the Odisha model.
Punjab is the latest to join this bandwagon of hockey sponsors by offering to host the Asian Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament in October/November this year at Mohali and Jalandhar. This tournament will feature the top six teams of the ensuing edition of the Asian Games.
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