Pro Kabaddi league all set to kick off

SPORTS

“Pro Kabaddi League can make Kabaddi an Olympic Sport”

Deoraj Chaturvedi, CEO, IKF believes that an enthusiastic approach towards the sport by all franchise owners will put the sport on the global map

 

With the auction of the Pro Kabaddi league all set to kick off in the financial capital, Mumbai on Tuesday. Mashal sports along with the International Kabaddi Federation and the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India conducted a day longexercise for all eight franchisees to build a healthy and succesful league.

 

In acontent rich and interactive session which includeda mock auction bythe traveling gavel, Bob Hayton,Venue Management sessions by joint tournament Director Preeti Mehta, television and broadcast plans by StarSports, the owners were briefed on standard auction procedure and the critical steps in setting up a franchise with a firm eye of investing in the future of the sport.

In a heartfelt speech, C.E.O of International Kabaddi Federation, Mr. Deoraj Chaturvedi addressed and thanked the franchise owners for their commitment towards showcasing the modern sophisticated avataar of the game. Speaking on the occasion, he said “In the world of sport, where champions are rewarded by their federation it is often the budding talent that loses out.In our country we have millions of men and women who play, follow and love the sport, yet it is only 12 lucky individuals who are given the opportunity to represent the nation, My concern is for that the rest of the top players who missed the bus. The introduction of the Pro Kabaddi League will help these players, not only in their development as an athlete but also to help relieve some of the anxiety felt by playing a sport that is yet to enjoy the benefit of a strong financial backing. With the addition of sports in CSR more corporates will come forward and with their backing we can look to develop facilities and truly march on in the hope of establishing Kabaddi on the global circuit. The game itself has thrill, agility, everything a sport needs. What we were lacking, was a promotional platform. 

ProKabaddi has given us this wonderful opportunity to showcase this action-packed indigenous sport for the world to see.” Continuing on, on the potential of the sport he added“Kabaddi is now played in 32 countries across the globe, the mandate for a sport to be officially recognised as an Olympic sport requires 50 playing nations, we are confident that the Pro Kabaddi League will go a long way in helping us achieve this long standing dream.”

Radha Kapoor, CEO of the Delhi outfit said “Kabaddi is a sport that originated in India, the prospect of promoting a sport that is truly Indian in every sense of the word was very exciting for us, we look forward to giving back to this sport what it has over the course of centuries given the country, which is a legacy. Being a team that comes from the capital always has its pressures but we are fully committed, not only toward the sport but also towards making a lasting impact in the lives of the players and the fans alike. We hope to build a strong community that will reshape the way the city of Delhi approaches the sport.”

The eight participating teams comprising the league have been given an equal purse of INR 60 lac for Category A and B Players. Ninety six players from across 14 countries have been divided into three categories, A, B and C by the Federation based on prior records and performances. The base price for category ‘A’ players is INR 4 lac and bidding for Category ‘B’ players will begin at INR 2 lac. Category ‘C’ players will be allotted to teams through a double draw format. The twelfth and final player on the team will be chosen by the franchise as a ‘State Wild Card’ from a list provided by the association, who could prove to be a big inspiration for all the youngsters who aspire to play in the Pro-Kabaddi League.