AHMEDABAD: The renaissance of kabaddi in India sees no abating. If the Pro Kabaddi League gave the ancient sport a new lease of life, and brought it into mainstream attention, the 2016 Kabaddi World Cup being held here is emphatic proof that people have lapped it up.
No one is benefiting from this more than the Indian players. While stars like Anup Kumar, Rakesh Kumar and Sandeep Narwal can no longer roam the streets without being mobbed by hysteric fans, the PKL has literally built itself around Rahul Chaudhuri, the poster boy of kabaddi in India right now.
This change in mindset of fans was evident on Saturday, for the audience could not wait for India's match. Call it a quirk of fate or smart scheduling by the organisers, the anticipation had reached a fever pitch by the time the home team took to the ring for the final match of the day against Argentina. And all this despite Iran and Japan playing a humdinger of a game.
“The quality of matches is really good, both in PKL and the World Cup. I have been watching kabaddi on TV ever since the Pro Kabaddi League started in 2014. And it has been perhaps the main reason that the sport has seen such a rise in popularity. The World Cup's success can also be attributed to PKL,” said Delhi-based businessman Sandeep Kataria, who has travelled to Ahmedabad just to witness live action from the event.
A big factor has been the primetime slot that kabaddi has managed. “Kabaddi is so exciting to watch, and I'd rather watch it rather than any serial that run simultaneously,” said housewife Mili Joshi, who with husband Yayati and their daughter had come for their first live kabaddi match. Season tickets for the 16-day tournament have been priced at `300, `1000 and `1500, but that hasn't stopped people from streaming the TransStadia Arena in hordes. “After a month of trying, me and my friends got tickets, and we've had a blast. I prefer kabaddi to cricket,” said 13-year-old Manav Fulwani.
Capturing the imagination of children over cricket is perhaps the biggest compliment to the rise of the sport.
Results: Korea 63-25 Australia; Iran 38-34 Japan; India 74-20 Argentina. Today's schedule: Live on Star Sports 2, HD: Thailand vs United States (6:50 pm); Korea vs England (8:00 pm); Japan vs Kenya (9:00 pm).
raviiyer@newindianexpress.com