Mashal Sports, the organisers of Pro Kabaddi League have announced that they are planning to launch an annual professional league for womens Kabaddi players. This league will be on the same platform as the mens league, which has now entered in its 10th year. The league is likely to be called the Womens Kabaddi League.The CEO of Mashal Sports and League Commissioner of Pro Kabaddi League Anupam Goswami said that “Our plans for a professional womens kabaddi league are based on the success we have seen in the mens league and our commitment to grow kabaddi as a modern world-class sport in India. We will be working with our various stakeholders, including the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) and the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF) to launch the womens league.”The Womens Kabaddi Challenge, a three-team test competition that Mashal Sports organised and ran with the assistance and approval of AKFI in 2016, will serve as a foundation for the proposed professional league for women.As per the organisers, the views of Indias leading women kabaddi players are seconded by Indias leading male kabaddi players as well, particularly those who are recognized by millions of PKL fans as leading players of the mens league. However, the organisers have not yet disclosed how many teams they are planning to have in the Womens Kabaddi League. In the first season, the organisers tried holding three teams in Womens Kabaddi League, 2016.Firebirds, IceDivas and StormQueens are the Kabaddi player teams who participated as members of the competing teams in the Kabadi tournament. As per the organisers, the views of Indias leading women kabaddi players are seconded by Indias leading male kabaddi players as well, particularly those who are recognized by millions of PKL fans as leading players of the mens league.V Tejeswini Bai, who captained the winning StormQueens team at the Womens Kabaddi Challenge in 2016 said that “Ever since the launch of Pro Kabaddi League in 2014, women kabaddi players in India have aspired to a professional kabaddi league of their own. Now, a womens version of PKL will be a big dream come true for every woman kabaddi athlete in India, and also for women kabaddi athletes from other countries.” Tejaswini is one of the Arjuna Award winners in the Womens Kabaddi player from India. She captained the Indian womens team at the 2014 Asian Games and bagged the gold medal for India.Pardeep Narwal, the highest point-scoring raider in Pro Kabaddi, added that “The quality and popularity of Pro Kabaddi League has enabled us to acquire pride and respect as Kabaddi players. I know that a womens PKL will guarantee the same recognition and reward for our women athletes.”Ajay Thakur, former India captain who has also been awarded the Arjuna Award and the Padma Shri also added that “Pro Kabaddi has transformed the lives and image of mens kabaddi athletes across all of India. I know if Mashal Sports does a womens league, it will do the same for womens kabaddi athletes.”Kabaddi began gaining popularity in recent years after the launch of the Pro Kabaddi League in 2014. Season nine of PKL attracted a collective viewership of 222 million on Star Sports who is the official broadcaster of PKL and reached millions of viewers through Disney+ Hotstar.Know more about PKLPro Kabaddi League is an Indian mens professional Kabaddi league which was launched in 2014. the leagues inception was influenced by the popularity of the team in Asian Games in 2006. the format of the league was influenced by the Indian Premier League. In its first season with eight teams each of which has paid fees up to USD 250,000 to join.
