BENGALURU: The final leg of the Indo- International Premier Kabaddi League (IPKL) is set to take shape at the Sree Kanteerava Indoor Stadium in the city from Saturday. After the completion of the Pune and Mysuru leg, Bengaluru will host three round-robin clashes, which will be followed by the semifinals and final on Monday and Tuesday, respectively.
The first day will witness Haryana Heros face Mumbai Che Raje, followed by two matches on day 2. While the first one will be held between Bangalore Rhinos and Chennai Challengers, the second match will see a clash between Zone B topper Diler Delhi and Pondicherry Predators. M V Prasad Babu, secretary general of the New Kabaddi Federation, said the matches in Bengaluru will open with a cultural performance by guest artistes. There is free entrance to the venue and the home team, Rhinos, are also looking for local support.
“The team is really excited for the Bengaluru leg as we would be playing on our home turf and will have strong support from the local audience. The team’s moral is really high right now and we are positive that we can maintain the winning momentum. If we keep our heads steady and make the most of our home advantage, we believe that winning the league won’t be a distant target,” said Rhinos’ captain, Vipin Malik.
The organisers have some major plans for next season, including more teams in the competition. The league might be held in the UAE with the association of royal families of the United Arab Emirates.
The Bengaluru leg matches will be broadcast on DSport, MTV, DD Sports, Polimer Music, DD Chandana and Kerala Vision.