There is the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), which is staging one of the oldest sports in India – kabaddi and bringing it into the modern world. The PKL has since its formation in 2014 not only helped bring the spotlight to this sport within the country of India but also in the international market as well. By targeted marketing and advertising, increased game engagement, and global telecast, the Pro Kabaddi League is bringing kabaddi to the international fora. Here’s how.
Table of Contents
1. Towards the Development of a Professional Kabaddi Platform
Earlier, through PKL, kabaddi did not have a professional platform. The sport being played mostly in rural countryside and did not much attract media promotion. That was before the formation of the PKL which kind of revolutionized everything. These changed it to more professional setup, making it also have teams from different cities, and more especially made the rules of the game more standardized. Such change escalated the game of kabaddi to the higher level of the competitive sport which was followed by a huge number of fans and later joined by international players and spectators.
2. Promoting India’s Heritage to International Exhibitions
Kabaddi is purely an Indian sport, which has its roots before even a few thousand years. Same has happened with kabaddi through PKL becoming cultural ambassadors of India. With the intent of talent hunting for the International Kabbadi Federation, the league has now familiarized international viewers to a sports elite part of the Indian cultures. The special nature and possession of high octane actions have drawn attention of fans from across the world and they got acquainted with the Indian sporting culture.
3. S.B.S – Tactical Broadcasting and Streaming Sponsorships
Perhaps one of the biggest triumphs of PKL is its scheme of broadcasting. As a result, it benefits from support of giant media outlets such as Star Sports and reaches millions of fans in different corners of the globe. Matches are aired at over 120 countries making kabaddi popular in new territories such as; Middle East, Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia. Online streaming has again further increased this reach where people can watch the sport on Hotstar and YouTube and so on and viewers across the globe can follow the league live.
4. Innovation and Technology in the Service of the Sport
To interest a modern viewer, PKL added new features, such as the Super Tackle and Do-or-Die Raid, which gave a greater level of strategy to regular kabaddi. Mr. Wattel has also noted that developments in technology such as real time statistics, video review, and intelligent scoreboards have enriched and amplified the spectators’ ability to understand the sport. These elements have made the game to attract young and technological fans as compared to the low-energy game such as basketball or soccer.
5. Attracting International Players
Dakshina also continues to include foreigners and the league has received players from countries such as Iran, South Korea, Kenya, and Japan. For example, South Korean player Jang Kun Lee, or Iranian player Fazel Atrachali end up being ‘stars’ of PKL and their fans back home are always a treat to watch. This inclusivity assist kabaddi in participating in the international level and lifts the sport’s profile and attractiveness to a higher level.
6. Building Fans and Followers
This engagement has been central to PKL’s framework for inducing a community around Kabaddi and ensuring consumer-interest. Right from simple corporate interact fannys and even the social marketing strategies, PKL has devoted itself to cultivating fans. The league means that the fans who are located in different parts of the globe can be able to interact with each other as well as share things such as clips on games as well as strategies to be applied while playing games. Thanks to this community engagement it has been made easier for this sport to cross boundaries and people from different regions are now fanatical fans of kabaddi.
7. Sponsorships and Investments as part of business Advances
The surge in PKL has compelled the sponsors like Vivo, Tata motors, dream11 to fund it aggressively. Each of these brands have contributed in marketing PKL across the world in terms of advertisements, sponsorship on players and cross marketing which goes global. This interest has uplifted PKL and in return, made the sport of Kabbadi popular and gain the status of being a world class sport around the world attractive to followers and investors alike.
The Road Ahead: Kabaddi as a Global Sport
However, PKL has done phenomenal and there is still a long way to go. Already there are visions for its growth through the establishment of international cup competitions as well as agreements with leagues across the globe. Since Kabaddi has been included in games like Asian Games it is so evident that PKL is a stepping stone to having Kabaddi adopted in almost all international tournaments.
Through the acceptance of change, increased concentration on the fans, and discrimination of prejudice the sport of Kabaddi is being prepared for the future by the Pro Kabaddi League. A game that was formerly played in the Indian villages has gradually transformed into an event followed by the fans all around the world. The pro kabbadi league not only revolutionized kabbadi but history is in the making as the PKL takes Kabbadi to international level.
With programs like PKL, the journey of kabaddi is not even in its initial stage and soon people all over the world may start supporting this vigorous indigenous Indian game.
