Pro Kabaddi League: A Superb Sporting Tournament

India is a sporting nation. From cricket to tennis to football to hockey, every sport is played in the country. Also, some of the sporting bodies in India are the richest in the world and hence so many leagues have begun in the country. From the Indian Premier League to the International Premier Tennis League to the Hockey India League to the Indian Super League, all of them have started in the country. These leagues rake in a lot of money and they also give local talent a chance to play against big international names.

While the Indian Premier League, International Premier Tennis League and the Indian Super League will begin later in the year, the Pro Kabaddi League has just kicked off. Yes, Kabaddi too, has a league of its own. The league was founded in 2014 and is currently in season three. The tournament has eight teams competing for the coveted title and they are Bengal Warriors, Bengaluru Bulls, Dabang Delhi, Jaipur Pink Panthers, Patna Pirates, Puneri Paltan, Telugu Titans and U Mumba.

The initial season was won by the Jaipur Pink Panthers as they beat the Mumbai franchise in the final. The U Mumba team redeemed themselves in season two as they took home the trophy in 2015. The final match of the second season was a nail-biting affair as U Mumba beat the Bengaluru Bulls by six points. The U Mumba team have been the most successful one in the tournament and they are favourites for the 2016 edition too.

Both, the 2014 and 2015 seasons were successful as the television ratings were very high. In fact, besides the Indian Premier League, no sporting event had garnered such high TRPs. Among the various kabaddi tournaments in India, this is the only one that has done so well and the league will go from strength to strength in the coming years. The matches air on Star Sports as they are the official broadcasting partner.

Coming to the celebrities who are associated with the league, Abhishek Bachchan is someone who most have seen in the stands. This is because the star owns the Jaipur Pink Panthers team. He regularly attends their matches and cheers for his team. Apart from him, his family too is seen at the stadium. Also, the organizers recently signed Telugu superstar, Rana Daggubati as the league's brand ambassador. The announcement was made before season three began. From the matches that are done yet, the Telugu Titans are on top of the table while the Puneri Paltan and Dabang Delhi are struggling.