When the whole nation is talking of the Indian Test team debacle in England, there’s one sport that is still bringing some smiles on their faces! Kabaddi ‘“ initiated into a league by the efforts of Star Sports…
When the whole nation is talking of the Indian Test team debacle in England, there’s one sport that is still bringing some smiles on their faces!
Kabaddi – initiated into a league by the efforts of Star Sports (TV channel) and Mashal Sports, this small town game is now being broadcasted across the globe.
And thanks to its popularity before the kick-off, the Pro Kabaddi League attracted a whopping 22 million viewers, 10 times more than what the first match of the recently concluded Football World Cup 2014 in Brazil had garnered. Now, that’s some TRPs!
With a touch of Bollywood into it, the Pro Kabaddi League has every ingredient to be a grand success. Bollywood stars such as Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and even former India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, were amongst the celebs that were at the inauguration of the league event.
The presence of the stars could be one reason for its increase in the viewership but also the rich history associated with it.
India is a hub of various types of games right from ‘kho-kho’ to ‘gilli danda’ but Kabaddi takes on another form itself. Cricket in India is considered as a major sport with the likes of football, hockey, tennis etc languishing behind. The Indian Premier League might have changed the way towards cricket viewership but also paved way for other sports to take up its own version of IPL. But who could have thought of Kabaddi being amongst those sports?
Seeing its grandeur success amongst the Indian fans, actor-cum-owner of Jaipur Pink Panthers, Abhishek Bachchan is even planning a film on Kabaddi! A news report claimed that the actor is keen on making a film but is on a lookout for a good script. Besides the Pro Kabaddi League, the Sony Six channel also airs the World Kabaddi League which is ongoing in the United Kingdom. Bollywood stars Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi have also pledged their support towards the league.
The Pro Kabaddi League might not have swept the fans of its feet, but in years to come could be one of the top contenders for the likes of IPL and also the English Premier League.
The league that has a total of eight teams – Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Jaipur, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune and Vishakapatnam are currently battling it out to win the first ever Pro Kabaddi League title. Going by the current table, U Mumba (Mumbai) and Jaipur Pink Panthers are leading top two sides in the table. But with games in hands, the likes of Patna Pirates and Telugu Titans can easily catch up on the front runners.
The owners of the franchises include some of who’s who of Indian industry with entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala for Mumbai, the Future Group for Kolkata, Insurekot Sports (Kotak Group) for Pune and Abhishek Bachchan for Jaipur.
Kabaddi is still in its adolescent years but in given time and money provided, the former could catch the steps of accomplishment and recognition for years to come.
