The inaugural Pro Kabaddi League, which concluded in Mumbai recently, was a big success. The Jaipur Pink Panthers, co-owned by actor Abhishek Bachchan, emerged the champions, defeating U Mumba 35-24 in the finals. Patna Pirates finished third, beating Bengaluru Bulls in the play-offs.
The Pro Kabaddi League shattered the myth that kabaddi was a rural sport. The tournament, held across eight cities — Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Bangalore, Vishakhapatnam, Patna, Pune and Jaipur — representing the eight teams, was mostly played before packed arenas.
Star Sports, meanwhile, reported television viewership figures in the region of 396 million.
The Pro Kabaddi League showed that kabaddi — India’s raw, furious, local sport — could be very exciting to watch. It was produced and marketed well on TV, while the standard of play remained high throughout.
The tournament drew viewers in big cities and small towns alike. It turned hitherto unknown players into stars. “People recognise me at airports now,” says Ravi Thakur of Bengaluru Bulls. “They know who Anup Kumar is. They know who Rakesh Kumar is. It’s as if we’re Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar.”
The Pro Kabaddi League has revived interest in this sport. It is hoped that kabaddi will begin to flourish again.
Kabaddi kabaddi
Kabaddi is a contact sport based on wrestling. It is said to have originated in India. It is the national game of Nepal and Bangladesh.
The Pro Kabaddi League was introduced in 2014 in India. It is based on the Indian Premier League (IPL). There were eight franchises based in eight cities in India and the team comprised players from all over the world.
Heroes of the game
Most Valuable Player: Anup Kumar (U Mumba)
Best Raider: Rahul Chaudhari (Telugu Titans)
Best Defender: Manjit Chillar (Bengaluru Bulls)
