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The second edition of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi is set to commence on July 18, 2015 in Mumbai at the Dome NSCI SVP Stadium, Mumbai. The inaugural match will be between the champions of the first season, Jaipur Pink Panthers and U Mumba, the premier season’s finalists. The sport will look to build on the tremendous success of the first season which saw a record 435 million viewers tune in across the league, to follow this indigenous game in its all new, repackaged avatar.
The upcoming season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi will feature a much deeper pool of national and international players. The squad strength of the teams has been bolstered from 14 members during the inaugural edition to 25 for the second season. A move which allows teams greater freedom to not only field local and young talent, but also to ensure that teams aren’t adversely affected by injuries.
With an objective to nurture and grow the sport in its bastion markets, Star Sports Pro Kabaddi will be broadcast in five languages – Kannada, Telugu and Marathi along with English and Hindi, across eight channels of the Star network as well as on hotstar. Enhanced graphics, analytics and commentary will make sure that the viewer experience is far more inclusive for season 2.
National Anthem to feature every day this season
The Indian game of kabaddi will also reach out to a huge global audience over 100 countries, including viewers in the United States, United Kingdom, Middle East and Latin America. It will also have commentary from the field of play, a never seen before phenomena in Indian sports, actively engaging their role on camera.
Commenting on Star Sports’ commitment to defining the sport, Nitin Kukreja, Head, Star Sports, said, “At Star, we are committed to reinvent the great Indian sport of kabaddi and set it in today’s context. The task is to make the game relevant and aspirational for the millions of young and passionate fans across India. Our objective this season is to make Star Sports Pro Kabaddi bigger and better in terms of quality of play, broadcast and reach.
“This season we will create a place of pride for the national anthem, one unique feature no other sport has. Every day during the league, we will have eminent personalities and local musicians and bands sing the anthem in a manner that captures the essence of the entire country.
“Alongside the same, the league will have a social identity as Star Sports Pro Kabaddi pledges its commitment to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan across the eight franchise cities to involve in-stadia audiences, franchise clubs, kabaddi players as well as viewers on TV to participate in keeping their surroundings clean,” Nitin Kukreja added.
On the opening night – July 18th, India’s biggest superstar Amitabh Bachchan will render the national anthem to kick start season 2 of the league.
“All of us can look forward to another blockbuster season”
Highlighting the mushrooming of the local ecosystem for Kabaddi, Janardan Singh Gehlot, President, International Kabaddi Federation, said, “It gives me immense pleasure to see the kabaddi nurseries of India blooming again. Star Sports Pro Kabaddi has not only revitalized the sport, but has also made kabaddi a viable career option for young talent across the country.”
“The primary motive behind creating a league such as the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi was to showcase the spectacular athleticism of the top players and give these players their due. This new, International competitive sophisticated face of the game, was appreciated equally by all sects of society, with an absence of a rural and urban divide. When it came to following Kabaddi, everybody was equally drawn to it,” said Charu Sharma, Director Mashal Sports.
“I have no doubt in my mind that armed with the continued commitment and encouragement extended by the Federation, the team owners, the media and of course, the Star Network, all of us can look forward to another blockbuster season.” Charu Sharma shared his thoughts on the upcoming season.
Star has reiterated its commitment to the sport by renewing the title sponsorship for the second season of the league. Eight leading brands – Bajaj Electricals, Department of Atomic Energy, Flipkart, Mahindra & Mahindra, State Bank of India, Thums Up, TVS Motors and VIP Frenchie have signed up as associate sponsors for season 2 of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi.
The grand prize of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League season 2 will be a modern sculptural symbol, fusing ‘new age’ sensibilities in a traditional sport, designed by renowned designer Michael Foley. The trophy is designed to contrast unique materials – titanium and aluminum with ‘soil’ – bringing alive the symbolic connect and transition of the age old sport into the modern era.
Soil is symbolic of the origins of Kabaddi. The metals Titanium and Aluminum represent a very strong, resilient and light metals – an apt symbol for strength, agility and intelligence. The eight teams will vie for the coveted trophy across 60 matches in 37 days.
With Season 2 of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi starting July 18, there is a feverish anticipation following Amitabh Bachchan’s #LePanga rap and integration with Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijaan. One can only wait in eagerness as India’s leading sports broadcaster is set to deliver another epic season of the great Indian sport.
