New Delhi: The eighth season of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), a domestic kabaddi tournament, will begin from December 22, league organizer Mashal Sports said on Tuesday.
In a statement, the company said that the league will be held without spectators and at a single venue in Bengaluru, away from its original Caravan format. The season was originally scheduled to be held in 2020, but was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The league will be streamed live on the Star Sports network and will be streamed on its top video platform Disney+ Hotstar.
Anupam Goswami, CEO, Mashal Sports and League Commissioner, Vivo Pro Kabaddi League, said, “Season 8 of the league will be hosted in Karnataka, which is an important geography for Kabaddi and PKL fans in India. Bengaluru has all the facilities to host major competitive sporting events with best safety practices, and we look forward to showcasing the same with PKL Season 8.”
The event will be held in a bio-secure bubble, he said, a first for any professional indoor contact sports league in India.
59 players were retained in the PKL player auction held in Mumbai in August this year. More than 450 players went under the hammer. 190 of these players were sold for ₹48.22 crores. Notable player auctions included Pradeep Narwal, who was bought by UP Yoddha for Rs 1.65 crore, becoming one of the most expensive players to be auctioned in a league outside cricket. Siddharth Desai was retained by Telugu Titans for Rs 1.30 crore.
The format of the game is influenced by the Cricket Indian Premier League and has a total of 12 teams. The current champion is Bengal Warriors.
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