Kabaddi News: Why the Pro Kabaddi League has become so popular?

The sport also has ties to modern-day Eastern Iran, namely Sistan. Here is a deep dive into the origins of the Pro Kabaddi League!

How PKL started

An Asian Kabaddi Federation official Deoraj Chaturvedi wished to start a league and proposed the idea to Charu Sharma, the kabaddi commentator for the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games. 

Sharma opened Mashal Sports in 1994 with Anand Mahindra, and in 2013, the company collaborated with Star India to set up the foundations of the Pro Kabaddi League. 

Consequently, eight franchises came into existence in 2014 - Bengal Warriors, Dabang Delhi, Bengaluru Bulls, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Puneri Paltan, Patna Pirates, Telugu Titans and U Mumba.

During the PKL's inaugural season, kabaddi became the second-most followed sport in India after cricket. The league attracted 435million viewers in season one and became famous.

The fifth season added four new teams: Gujarat Giants, Tamil Thalaivas, Haryana Steelers, and UP Yoddha. It outnumbered the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Indian Super League (ISL) franchises. 

A viable career option for youngsters

National kabaddi players, namely Anup Kumar, Manjeet Chillar, Rakesh Kumar, Sandeep Narwal, Ajay Thakur and Rahul Chaudhari, gained star status over the first few seasons. 

In addition, the league also motivated and provided opportunities to youngsters who could make their national debuts after playing in PKL. The Future Kabaddi Heroes Program has also alleviated the process. 

The popularity received by the players through PKL has helped them financially, which makes the sport a viable career option. 

Overseas players have taken the league to new heights.

Iranians Meraj Sheykh and Fazel Atrachali delivered memorable performances for their teams. Fazel was the captain of U Mumba for three seasons. 

On the other hand, Esmaeil Nabibakhsh captained the Bengal Warriors and led them to their first title in season seven.

Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh was the attention-grabbing factor in the next season. The Iranian secured 86 tackle points and broke the record for the most acquired by a player in a season.

Star Sports and PKL

Star Network India is responsible for raising the marketing and advertising revenue of the PKL. The phrase 'Le Panga' eventually became a song in the league and attracted Hindi-speaking viewers.

Regional ambassadors influenced the crowd, and the viewership numbers steadily rose. In addition, Bollywood celebrities began to own franchises. 

Abhishek Bachchan owns the Jaipur Pink Panthers, Akshay Kumar has a stake in the Bengal Warriors, and Bollywood producer Ronnie Screwvala owns U Mumba, among many more. 

The PKL is broadcasted in Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, and Telegu. The format of the league and prime-time slot are contributors to its popularity. 

Pro Kabaddi became India's second-most searched sports event, as stated by Google Trends 2019. Initiatives started by the league, namely the Women's Kabaddi Challenge (WKC) and KBD Juniors, have also been successful.

Top-notch Sponsorship Model

The PKL's sponsorship model ensures zero chances for a sponsor to be challenged by a rival from the same category. The league also permits a multi-franchised sponsorship deal model.

In the coming years, the league is only expected to grow as more fans tune in and a more extensive roster of talented youngsters come in every season.