Aritra Mukhopadhyay/TNN
Chandigarh, Apr 11: Egged on by the huge buzz around cricket's premier leagues, the Akalis in Punjab have not only decided they will have a World Kabbadi League of their own, but will also buy one of the teams.
"It will be on the lines of the IPL," said SAD (B) president Sukhbir Badal. "In fact, to give the WKL a boost, I am willing to buy one of the clubs and turn the tournament into a mega event," he added.
Speaking to TOI on Thursday, Sukhbir said, "The basic idea behind the WKL is to bring all kabaddi clubs, both Indian and foreign, under one umbrella and give the game the status it deserves. We have approached Punjab-based corporate houses, urging them to buy teams and the response has been very encouraging."
He further added that the league, which is likely to begin by July, will be played abroad in summers while the winter edition will be hosted by India, as it will suit weather conditions.
"Kabaddi attracts huge crowd in Punjab and the entire Punjabi diaspora. I have spoken to club officials in Canada, US and UK and am satisfied by the enthusiasm shown by them. Players will be offered contracts to the tune of Rs 15 to 20 lakh by the franchises which will also pay them a fixed monthly salary. Other than clubs from India and the above mentioned countries, the league is also likely to feature teams from Pakistan," he said, adding, "The matches will be telecast live."
Players hail announcement
News of kabaddi's would-be premier league has been received by players with rapturous applause. "It's good that Sukhbir Badal is trying to do something big for the pet game of Punjab," said former India player Harmail Singh from Ludhiana.
Citing the example of Manpreet Singh Maan, who represented India at the Asian Games, Harmail added, "Despite winning gold at the Asian Games, Manpreet didn't get any recognition, forget money, while cricketers who have done nothing for the country are hogging the limelight courtesy IPL and ICL. If kabaddi players get the chance to earn big what's wrong in it."
The most popular kabaddi tournaments in Punjab, like the Lodhi Cup and Canada Cup, are mainly conducted by NRIs. However, since these championships are not being marketed properly, they provide little opportunity to players to display their skills at the international level. And though players from Punjab are taken abroad to play club tournaments, it's only after IPL came into being that the concept of promoting kabaddi was being discussed in the state.
Harbans Singh, coach of Ludhiana District Kabaddi Association, who's currently supervising trials in kabaddi at Jalandhar, welcomed the proposal. "There are more than 150 players in the U-19 age group and about 65 in the U-17 section who are appearing for the trials. Sukhbir Badal's proposal is the best way to promote the game at the global level. And if they are guaranteed a job, nothing's like it."