Hitting the Big League

INDIA IS CURRENTLY a land of sport leagues. Almost every sport has a league to its name. But the interesting thing is that very few are sustainable and have commercial traction. While the Indian Premier League (IPL) is the mother of all leagues and is hugely successful, the surprise entrant at number two is the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), which, may I say, has consistently held its own after a decade of its existence. With yet another season about to reach the home stretch, it is clearly a story worth documenting.

Kabaddi has forever been a sport with deep roots in India. And yet, the sport had little or no traction among the masses. Players weren’t respected or idolised and there was no money in the sport. Despite India winning multiple gold medals in kabaddi at the Asian Games since 1990, little happened to the status of the sport in the country until PKL changed it all.

With the inception of the league, the sport became an aspirational tale. Talent, which was always there, was all of a sudden given opportunities to flourish and players became stars overnight with the league being telecast prime time on satellite television. Prime time telecast meant sponsors would back the league. Money flowed in and kabaddi players, who few would have known earlier, turned into icons overnight.

With quality play on offer, the league soon became the aspirational tale it had set out to be. Scores of youngsters took to the sport and the supply line, which is key to the survival of any sport, was robust and dynamic. New players would come up the ranks every single year. That’s where PKL was different from other leagues, which were struggling for survival.

Maninder Singh, captain of the Bengal Warriors, put it well, “There was always a huge fan following for kabaddi right from the first season. However, the one big difference now is that young kids come and watch the game. Now, we see families coming together to watch the games in the stadium.”

Surinder Singh, U Mumba captain, echoed similar sentiments, “The Pro Kabaddi League has brought a lot of changes in my life. Earlier, no one used to recognise players, but now we are recognised by one and all, wherever we go. PKL has changed the lifestyles of many players and this league has taken the game of kabaddi to great heights.”

With the league stable and doing well, what next is the question? Will the sport push for inclusion in the Olympics at some point and invest in a women’s league to ensure there is equality in the sport? Knowing well that you can only make the Olympics if there is gender parity, is that the direction the sport will take in India? Needless to say, there is a huge number of young girls who play the sport. They will all find a new lease of life if that happens. Anupam Goswami, league commissioner and one associated with the property for years, helped put the vision in context, “We have taken it step-by-step. The first was to bring respectability and viability to the sport. We wanted to give homegrown talent a voice and, may I say, we have been able to do that. Second, we wanted to make the league the very best in the world in terms of standard. Again, we have been able to achieve that. Third, we needed to ensure the supply chain of talent is constant and the ecosystem of the sport is robust. That, too, is now achieved. Now, we are determined to launch a women’s league to increase the scope and ambit of the sport and add new constituencies to the league. Of course, we have Olympic ambitions but the launch of the women’s league could be the first step,” he said.

It is this emphasis on process that has given the league teeth and muscle. Without trying to be extravagant and focus on glitz and glamour, PKL has focussed on solidity. And with the sport doing well, winning the Asian Games gold back from Iran is evidence, it can be said, that the future of kabaddi is bright in India.

Another plus for the league is its mass connect. Unlike tennis or badminton, kabaddi is played in the interiors of India, and played by the masses. That’s what the league has successfully tapped into. Now, the players are stars and it has made a huge difference to their positions in society.

The truth is the league has changed the sport. And changed it for the better. Now, you play kabaddi for a living and if you play well, you have the life of a celebrity. There is money and glamour and, most importantly, respect.

Few would want to doubt the future of the sport anymore. True to its tagline—“Le Panga! (Take up the challenge!)”

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