Bengaluru: Do you know the history of Pro Kabaddi starting on 7th October? Fans were not allowed last season due to Covid. Fans are very excited for the new season. The ninth season is coming. The organizing company of Pro Kabaddi League is Mashal Sports. It was founded in 1994 by Anand Mahindra and Charu Sharma with the aim of making Kabaddi more accessible to the Indian audience. It was backed by international broadcasting giant Disney Star.
The start of the league was influenced by the popularity of the Kabaddi tournament at the 2006 Asian Games. The format of the competition was influenced by the Indian Premier League. The Pro Kabaddi League had its first season in 2014 with eight teams. A fee of up to US$ 250,000 is paid to join it. Many leagues have tried to emulate the IPL’s business model and success. Unlike cricket, Kabaddi had relatively few well-known players, so there were doubts about the success of the Pro Kabaddi League.
However, the Kabaddi League gained acceptance soon after its inception. With the addition of advertisers, the game became tougher. The inaugural season was watched by 43.5 crore (435 million) viewers. The first season final between Jaipur Pink Panthers and U-Mumba was watched by 8.64 crore (86.4 million) people. Star Sports, the broadcaster of the Pro Kabaddi League, later announced in 2015 that it would acquire a 74% stake in the league’s parent company, Mashal Sports. With this Kabaddi took a new dimension.
In the 2017 and 2018–19 seasons, the Pro Kabaddi League inducted four new teams. Initially there were double round robin matches with two semi-finals, third place and final games. 56 games in the first round and 4 games in the play-off stage for a total of 60 games. 8 teams participated in the first edition. The final was held at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium, Mumbai on 31 August. Jaipur Pink Panthers beat U Mumbai 35-24 in the first Pro Kabaddi League.
Pro Kabaddi League Season 2 was from 18th July to 23rd August 2015. A total of 60 matches were played in this season including 2 semi-finals, third place and final. The final was between U Mumbai and Bengaluru Bulls in Mumbai on August 23. 2015 Pro Kabaddi League season winners U Mumba defeated Bengaluru Bulls by 6 points. U Mumba has more wins in each match.