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Mint
2 days ago
- Sport
- Mint
Pro Kabaddi at 12: A league that's growing by leaps and bounds
The recent auctions for the upcoming 12th season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), in which 10 players were recruited for over ₹1 crore each, is an indicator of the league's progression. Ahead of the first season in 2014, the highest bid was for Rakesh Kumar, who went for ₹12.8 lakh. Last Saturday, Gujarat Giants got Iranian Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh for ₹2.23 crore, a little more than the ₹2.20 crore paid by Bengal Warriorz for Devank Dalal. It was a spotty auction as 12 teams bid for more than 500 players, with the inevitable hits and misses. Pawan Sehrawat, who went for ₹2.60 crore to Telugu Titans in 2023, barely made it through this time, getting ₹59.50 lakh from Tamil Thalaivas as most team principals seemed to focus on younger players. U Mumba, for instance, paid ₹78 lakh for unheralded Aanil Mohan while Pardeep Narwal, the most successful raider in PKL across seasons, went unsold. The three-time champion with Patna Pirates promptly announced his retirement. Also read: How kabaddi went from a game of strength to one of speed For a league that started under reasonable scepticism, a 12th season itself is evidence of accomplishment considering no other sporting league, barring the Indian Premier League (IPL) in cricket, has survived this long. Star Sports, which owns a majority stake in the league, declared its season 10 viewership to be over 225 million, making it the only sport besides cricket to get those kinds of numbers. Stakeholders in the league credit the sport's indigenous origins to its popularity, besides the brevity of matches, the athleticism of its exponents, the overall packaging of the league by the broadcaster, for its success. Broadcast is one of the biggest reasons for any sport or league to be followed and it helps PKL that Star Sports has a stake in it. 'Since the broadcaster has a sizeable control over the league, now Jio Star… You need a strong broadcasting partner because the reach of such games is important. Lots of leagues have not survived because the broadcaster was not invested (enough)," says Sanjay Adesara, the chief business officer of Adani Sportsline, which has the Gujarat Giants team in the PKL. Gujarat is one of the relatively newer entrants into the league, joining it since PKL expanded from eight to 12 teams from the fifth season in 2017. The upcoming one will be this team's eighth season, without any titles and therefore financial sustainability is still some distance away, Adesara adds. DEMAND AND SUPPLY One of the league's salient features is that only two teams, Patna Pirates (seasons 3-5) and Jaipur Pink Panthers (seasons 1, 9), have won the title more than once. Almost every other season has a new winner, which has a significant impact on the teams because titles lead to more visibility, following and sponsorship deals. 'In an auction, you have to be a bit fluid and flexible," adds Adesara. 'The auction is about demand and supply. No plan goes through for anyone. One should be quick to readjust. The league is always about supply of talent, how you build your teams with multiple seasons in mind, which gives all 12 teams an equal chance." The equality among the teams, some believe, adds to the league's popularity because it makes the PKL result difficult to predict. A title, however, adds to a team's brand value and popularity. 'Makes a difference to the base definitely, as we get more traction," says Kailash Kandpal, the chief executive officer of Insurekot Sports Pvt. Ltd which owns the Puneri Paltan team in the PKL, while talking about the team's first title win in 2023. 'It impacts the popularity of the team; expectation then rises from fans, from sponsors, from the promoters of the team. We then need a repeat performance. You got to have it, if you are a champion, you have to win many times." Apurv Gupta, director of contact sports at Capri Sports and the chief executive officer of Bengal Warriorz, which won the league in season seven, adds, 'It's a competitive league when you have several champions. It tells us that PKL is competitive, is exciting, difficult to predict who will win." Capri Sports' interest in PKL is indicative of the bullish attitude towards the league. An initiative of Capri Global Holdings, a financial firm, Capri Sports took over the Bengal team in 2023 after initially investing in International League T20 (ILT20) cricket, and subsequently expanding with teams across different sports such as the UP Warriorz (Women's Premier League cricket), Sharjah Warriors (ILT20) in the UAE and Rajasthan Warriors (Ultimate Kho Kho). GROWING VIEWERSHIP 'This modernised version of a sport that originated in India has the new generation tuning into it. Just the way it's been packaged, broadcast, structured, with rule changes like the do-or-die raid or the super tackle, contribute to its success," adds Gupta. 'There is something happening every 30 seconds in the game," says Kandpal. 'You need only 40 minutes to watch a match which helps when attention spans are reducing. Game duration plays a big role." All team promoters view the success of the league from the lens of its growing, 200-million-plus viewership, bigger talent pool of athletes, younger stars breaking through the ranks and some less tangible ones. 'You see younger guys trying to innovate, find the best way to tackle and raid. It's a subtle yet critical sign of success, as athletes find better ways of playing, competitiveness evolves," believes Gupta. Several franchise owners, like Capri Sports, have teams in other leagues as well and therefore have a better understanding of the country's sporting landscape. 'PKL was one of our first in sports," says Adesara, of Adani Sportsline which also has teams in the ILT20 and WPL. 'Kabaddi being an indigenous sport, was the biggest touch point for us. It's played all over the country, everyone's played it," he adds, which makes it both an approachable and aspirational sport. Arun Janardhan is a Mumbai-based journalist who covers sports, business leaders and lifestyle. He posts @iArunJ.
Hindustan Times
28-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Panchkula: Patwari caught taking ₹20k bribe
The anti-corruption bureau arrested a patwari, Rakesh Kumar, red-handed while reportedly accepting a bribe of ₹20,000 outside the Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) office in Sector-6 on Tuesday evening. ACB inspector Virender Kumar and his team laid a trap after receiving a complaint from Virender, a resident of Saketri, Panchkula, who mentioned that a piece of land registered in his and his four brothers' names in Saketri had been acquired by the HSVP in 2003. Dissatisfied with the initial compensation, they moved the high court which directed the respondents to enhance the amount. The file for this enhanced compensation had been pending with Rakesh Kumar. When the complainant met him, Rakesh Kumar allegedly demanded ₹25,000 from each of the five owners as bribe to process the file. The bribe amount was eventually negotiated down to ₹20,000. HSVP estate officer Manav Malik clarified that Rakesh Kumar was a contractual worker engaged through Haryana Kaushal Rojgar Nigam Limited and had been deputed to the survey branch of the HSVP, Panchkula, to assist with revenue-related matters. Malik said the department would conduct an internal review. The accused will be produced in a local court on Wednesday. A case under Section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered against him.
Time of India
25-05-2025
- Time of India
Vehicle checks intensify after Boring Road shooting
1 2 Patna: In response to a recent spate of violent incidents, including Saturday's shooting on Boring Canal Road, Patna police launched an extensive vehicle-checking drive on Sunday in key intersections, chowks and road junctions to maintain law and order. The operation followed orders from Patna SSP Avakash Kumar after unidentified assailants in a black SUV without a registration plate fired 4-8 rounds before fleeing towards Patna GPO. Patna has witnessed over 13 firing incidents in the past two weeks, resulting in at least seven deaths and injuries to more than half a dozen people. So far, over 17 suspects have been arrested in connection with these cases. On Sunday, police detained a juvenile under the BNS Act and Arms Act in Bihta police station area in connection with the May 15 murder of 22-year-old florist Rakesh Kumar in Bajitpur village. The Patna SSP told TOI, "Police stations will continue to carry out random vehicle checks in their respective areas. On Sunday, the drive lasted three hours in all police stations. SHOs are free to initiate similar drives independently to maintain order." During the operation, sub-divisional police officers and station house officers were present on the roads in various areas. Danapur ASP Bhanu Pratap Singh said, "Following the SSP's directives, a campaign was launched on Saturday. During vehicle checks, one person was arrested with 180 ml of foreign-made liquor, and approximately Rs 52,000 in cash was seized. He is involved in the liquor trade and distribution. " Anu Kumari, sub-divisional police officer I of the Secretariat division, who oversaw checks at Atal Path, Bailey Road and near Eco Park, said, "We recovered three stolen mobiles from the accused, Puneet Kumar (25), a resident of Saristabad. He was arrested on Road Number 17 under the Gardanibagh police station area." In a separate incident in Baikatpur under Khusrupur police station area, police recovered a stolen motorcycle and 30 litres of country-made liquor. Deputy superintendent of police (town), Diksha, said, "Two SUVs – one each from Pirbahore and Kadamkuan police station areas – were seized, both carrying bottles of liquor."
The Hindu
25-05-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Pro Kabaddi League 2025: U Mumba part ways with head coach Rakesh Kumar days before PKL 12 auction
Pro Kabaddi League franchise U Mumba parted ways with its head coach Rakesh Kumar on Sunday. This comes days before the PKL 12 players auction which is scheduled to be held in Mumbai on May 31 and June 1. The Mumbai-based team took to social media to share the news, stating, 'After multiple conversations and with careful consideration towards the time and commitment needed in the immediate future of U Mumba through Pro Kabaddi and the rest of the year, the Team and Head Coach Rakesh Kumar have mutually decided to respectfully part ways.' 🚨𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲🚨 After multiple conversations and with careful consideration towards the time and commitment needed in the immediate future of U Mumba through Pro Kabaddi and the rest of the year, the Team and Head Coach Rakesh Kumar have… — U Mumba (@umumba) May 25, 2025 The speed of this development is surprising, considering Rakesh was appointed not long ago, stepping in after Gholamreza Mazandarani's tenure ended with PKL 11. ALSO READ | Pro Kabaddi League 2025: Full list of retained players ahead of Season 12 Auction Mumba CEO, Suhail Chandhok, shared a video to explain the decision to the fans. Chandhok also emphasised that an announcement regarding the appointment of a new head coach and coaching staff will be made shortly.
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
Kharar eatery owner held for ‘selling' liquor
Mohali: In a late-night raid, the owner of a local eatery in Kharar was arrested for allegedly selling illicit liquor to nearby residents and students staying as PGs. The raid, carried out on the intervening night of Thursday and Friday, uncovered a significant cache of illegal liquor at Micky Kitchen on Landran Road. The accused, Rakesh Kumar alias Micky, owner of the chicken shop, was reportedly running an underground liquor supply operation, targeting customers in residential areas and PGs, especially post-midnight hours. According to officials, he procured liquor from Chandigarh using his personal vehicle. TNN Acting on a tip-off, the raid was conducted under the guidance of Assistant Commissioner Excise Ashok Chalotra and direct supervision of Excise Officer Dewan Chand and DSP Kharar Karan Singh Sandhu. The team, led by Excise Inspector Vikas Kumar and supported by local police, seized a substantial quantity of liquor during the operation. Among the recovered items were 67 bottles of Indian and Foreign Made Liquor (IMFL/IFL), 112 beer bottles, 40 beer cans, and 35 nips of various Ready-to-Drink (RTD) brands, all marked "For Sale in UT Chandigarh Only". Preliminary investigations indicate that Rakesh Kumar is a repeat offender involved in the illegal late-night sale of alcohol. A case has been registered under Section 61 of the Punjab Excise Act, 1914, and Section 112 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertains to petty organised crime. The FIR names Rakesh Kumar of Golden City, Sector 10, and an accomplice, Krishan of Sector 125, both residents of Kharar. Authorities are now probing the broader network and supply chain behind the illicit trade. Further investigation is ongoing, and officials have assured strict action against all those involved. MSID:: 121364514 413 | Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
