The ProKabaddi league has passed the litmus test and is set to go places. Money has proved to be a great incentive for the serious practitioners of the sport.
Rakesh Kumar, bought by Patna Pirates for Rs. 12.8 lakh, became the face of the competition during the Mumbai leg of the league. Many others are on the way to achieve stardom. It would be fair to say that the league has helped Kabaddi scale new heights.
The partisan crowd played its part too with U Mumba receiving crescendo level cheers. Artful players like Anup Kumar, Surender Nada, Shabeer Bapu Sharfudheen, Wazir Singh, Jitesh Joshi, Surjeet Narwal, Kashiling Adake and Rahul Choudhari have made a fine impression thus far.
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With more than a month to go and the league set to reach different parts of India in the coming days, there are enough clear indications that ProKabaddi is here to stay.
“There will be inadequacies. The NSCI capacity is around 3,500. The turnout was good on the opening day. I was a little anxious on the second and third day because of rain. But it got better. We are blessed,’’ said Charu Sharma, of Mashal Sports.
Sharma who calls Kabaddi a “truly indigenous and has heritage value’’, decided to start a professional league after seeing India win gold medals at the Doha Asian Games. It has taken time for Sharma, but he appears to be a happy man at the NSCI.
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After an absorbing tie between U Mumba and Telugu Titans, the home team’s Anup Kumar was asked if he could predict an uninterrupted ten year run for the league. His spontaneous reply was: “Not ten, but fifty years. It has been a great experience so far in Mumbai. We expect the same elsewhere in the country. We have not played often is such a big venue and atmosphere.’’
In a short span of time, the eight teams owned by some of the best known names in industries, has caught the imagination of sports aficionados, and others. The Bachchan family were present on the opening day to support the team they own – Pink Panthers Jaipur. Also present were Shah Rukh Khan, Amir Khan, Farah Khan, Suniel Shetty and of course the Tendulkars – Sachin, Anjali and Sara. Their presence made the league an instant hit
Not long ago Sharad Kannamwar of the Mahrashtra Lawn Tennis Association said that young and budding politicians in the State organised big Kabaddi tournaments to impress their political masters. Corporate and Bollywood influences have gradually changed Kabaddi from a rustic-looking game to flashy action full of glamour.
There would be more action with the foreign players, including three Pakistan players, likely to get a chance from the Kolkata leg.