HIL names Gavin Hawke, Muthukumar Balakrisnan as assistant tournament directors

New Delhi: Continuing with its bid to have world class officials on board, Hero Hockey India League today announced the appointment of Gavin Hawke and Muthukumar Balakrisnan as Assistant Tournament Directors for the third edition, to be held from January 22 to February 22.

With the inclusion of Hawke and Balakrisnan, the tournament is expected to see a boost in the smooth flow of communication and management in the conduct of its matches.

Speaking on his appointment, Hawke said, "It's an honour for me to be a part of the third edition of HIL and I will aim at adding my experience to the requirement of the position and ensuring seamless operational work on all aspects and during the entire League.

"I am happy to be associated to this League as this is only Hockey League across the world and which has world class players on board competing in the tournament."

Having worked as a technical official for three years at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup played at Malaysia, Gavin was seen holding the position of a Tournament Director at the tournament this year.

He was also appointed as a judge at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier this year. His other tournaments include the 2011 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy and the Olympic Qualifier Tournament held at New Delhi.

Hawke was the Tournament Director for 2012 World League Round 1 competition in Suva, Fiji followed by the Australian Youth Olympics, Sydney in the year 2013.

Commenting on his new association with HIL, Balakrisnan said, "Working with HIL is surely a privilege for me. This is my second season with the tournament and I am fondly anticipating it to kick start so that I get an opportunity to put my efforts in the progression of the event and at the same time add experience to my career."

A retired Lt. Colonel, Balakrisnan has a vast experience in umpiring and various technical table works. The second season of HIL saw him as an International Assistant Tournament Director. He was the judge/technical officer at the 2014 Champions Challenge, 2014 Rabobank Hockey World Cup (Men) and a technical officer at the recently concluded 17th Asian Games, Incheon 2014.

Balakrisnan was also assigned as a Tournament Director for the 2nd Asian Champions Trophy 2012 (Qatar), 1st Men's and Women's Asian Challenge 2013 (Thailand) and 3rd Men's and Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2013 (Japan).