Pkl League Commissioner Anupam Goswami Shares His Thoughts on the League’s Growth, Their Dreams of Seeing Kabaddi as an Olympic Sport, And What it means to make pkl the best league in india in india in india in india.
Q. What has been the journey of pkl over the past 11 years?
Sports Leagues are still in their nassence in India -the biggest league in the country is only 18 seasons Pkl is one of the two sports leagues outside cricket that has started their second decade. It is a significant milstone in Indian sport with seveal fares. We have set a good model for grassroots sports to emerge as modern sports with organized fandom, spectatorship, and large-scale consumption on model.
Q. pkl has a mass connection with rural and regional audiences. How many, how did you make a concerted effort to build heroes with pkl?
Sporting Heroes are made when the story of Athletic ability is communicated to large audiences through engaging content. The capability, committee, and imagination of the media partner are always important for this, and the role of star sports have been transformative for pkl. As we go into our second decade, the storytelleing for pkl on emerging media and aming emerging consumer groups will be important. At the same time, pkl teams are Reaching the stage where they can start evolving into great sporting clubs with great Communities and Drive the Next Round of Growth for Oor Sport. That is the Opportunity for Kabaddi Through Pkl. Of course, all of this will create successive generations of kabaddi heroes as well.
Q. We have seen Leagues come and go, include the likes of badminton, table tennis, and hockey in their initial form. Sitting on the fence as a fan, what do you think didn’t work here?
The League Model for Various Sports is Contributing to the Emergence of a Multi-Sport Ecosystem and Consumer Habits in India. We have drawn our Learnings from Several Peers in Indian Sports Leagues. Pkl has strong achievements, but there is still so much more to be done. We know pkl has set some best practices for emerging sports in India, and all of them emanate from a focused fan-first approach. This approach has to be universal in application across all key decisions for the league.
Among Leagues for Contact Sports, We WERE Examplary in Overcoming The Disrupt of the Pandemic. Like our peers, we missed the 2020 season, but we came back aggressively and determined to conduct season 8 in 2021, which was then still very differential for a capacity Sport to Pull off. We efficiently conducted the full season on schedule without redeucing a single match.
Q. Covid changed the ecosystem a lot, and since leagues are dependent on corporate involvement, did you notice any change in their approach and investment across the Sports Leagues? Given Roi has become more critical now?
It is a simple truth that any investment-line must have a line of sight to financial sustainability at some stage. Sports must also make Financial Sense to its investors.
At the same time, the value proposation of successful Sport is unique and proving itself all the more in our post-pandemic time. More than ever before, sport is showing its potential to unite and inspire people across the world. Contemporary sporting heroes are making global heroes. Social following for Elite Athletes compares strongly to achievements in other walks of life. This is the basis for the surge in national and international efforts in sports all Around Our World.
Q. Has League Culture also intensified the debate of Club vs Country-LED Sport? Because of the monetary involvement in Leagues, Young Talent is more keen to play in Leagues and Clubs Rather than aspire to play for the country.
Even today, Team India Commands a very covered stature and space for any sport in our country. In kabaddi, as well, each player dreams and aspires to play for the country and the league. The big achievement for kabaddi is that it is a medal discipline at the asian games, and this is a key strength for the spire to an even higher pedestal, such as the olympics. All Kabaddi Athletes Dream of this evolution and being a part of it.
At the same time, the pkl teams have been significant contributors to the development, makeover, and emerging future of kabaddi as a modern sport, with all the inputs that go into this transformation. This includes the application of sports science and technology, new formats of training, and providing exposure to overseas players. All this adds to the growth of kabaddi. And it’s a matter of protride that the entry national team has emerged from pkl. Prior to pkl, there were many instances of kabaddi players or coaches achieving success, but no one was noticing this. Our performance in Kabaddi at the Asian Games Received Front-Page Coverage in the News Media during the 2014 Asian Games, Whoch WERE HELD IMMEDIELY AFTER SEASON 1 of Pkl.
One reality is that, outside of cricket, kabaddi players are the best-paid Indian athletes by far in India. Talk to any kabaddi player, and they will tell you that pkl has catalyzed a sea change in the way kabaddi and its athletes are looked up to in their communities and ecoSystem. The self -teem of kabaddi athletes has increased by leaps and bounds as a direct impact of pkl. The players’ self -teem has undoubtedly been boosted by the commercial success they have witnessed with the League. Of course, it is also a reality that pkl athletes are among the highest-paid athletes in any sports league outside cricet.
Q. What are your views on when we can expect a women’s league in Kabaddi?
Obvious, the holistic development of kabaddi requires the development of women’s kabaddi as well, especially for any olympics vision for this sport. We Demonstrated our Intent and Commitment by Conducting The Women’s Kabaddi Challenge in 2016 as a demonstration event. We reiterated our Intent in 2023 to Conduct a women’s league. At the same time, we have Absolute Clarity that, as and when we launch the women’s league for kabaddi, it must have the same the same massive impact as we achieved for men’s kabaddi with pkl in 2014. Lenge is the quality and quantity of Women’s Kabaddi Talent available. This is a reality for other sports too.
