What’s the story?
With the Pro Kabaddi League season auction on the horizon on Monday, another major announcement has been made as the name for the new Haryana franchise was released. The team, owned by JSW Sports, has been named the Haryana Steelers.
“The manner in which the PKL has swiftly turned around the way kabaddi is played, viewed and followed is fantastic, to say the least. We are thrilled to be a part of the ride this season,” said Parth Jindal, Director JSW Sports.
He added, “We couldn’t have asked for a more apt place than Haryana to field a team out of, given is where our family hails from and that it has always been a hotbed for athletes who have gone on to do the nation proud.”
In case you didn’t know
The previous four seasons saw eight teams face off for the title but this edition, four new teams have been added. The team hailing from Haryana was picked up by JSW Sports.
Related: Pro Kabaddi 2017 Season 5 auction: Full player list and categories revealed!
The heart of the matter
The appointment of the coach in the form of Ranbir Singh Khokkar was also announced. He is an astute choice, with over 35 years of coaching experience at the highest level under his belt. He had led India to gold medals at the 1990 Asian Games and the 2013 Asian Indoor Games.
He is also responsible for the recent rise of the Iranian team, which includes PKL stalwarts in the form of Meraj Sheykh and Fazel Atrachali. He said that he is looking forward to working with a team such as JSW Sports and praised their contribution towards the development of sport in India.
This season 12 teams, including four new ones from Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh, will contest for the Season 5 crown. The campaign will be spread over a mammoth 13 weeks, which will see 130+ matches played across 11 states in the country.
What’s next?
On Monday, nearly 360 players will go under the hammer as the new rosters are formed. Seven out of eight existing teams have opted to retain a player each, with the Jaipur Pink Panthers being the odd one out. Each team will have a budget of Rs 4 crore at the auction.
Author's take
The announcement had been a much-awaited one. Kabaddi has a huge fan following in Haryana and the fans there would have been anxiously waiting to know the new name.
Related: Pro Kabaddi League Season 5 auction: Rules, player categories, budget explained
