Star Sports to telecast Senior National Kabaddi Championships from knockouts phase: AKFI official

Kabaddi fans across the nation were left disappointed last month after the Asian Championships that were held in Gorgan, Iran were not broadcast on television in India. The Indian side comfortably romped home to win the crown, defeating Pakistan in the final but unfortunately, fans at home were unable to watch their heroes in action and were furious with the authorities as a result.

However, in a welcome development, viewers will now be able to watch the Senior National Championships later this month on television, with Star Sports likely to broadcast the event. Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, a senior official in the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India confirmed the development and stated that they are working on ensuring that the event, atleast the knockout phase, is telecast on national TV.

He said, "It is most likely that the knockout matches of the National Championships will be telecast on Star Sports. We are working with them to ensure that the maximum number of matches are covered and that the best possible coverage is given to the event."

The competition is expected to begin on December 31 and will feature the biggest names from the Pro Kabaddi League facing off while representing their respective states. The venue for the same will be the Gachibowli Stadium in Hyderabad.

Last year, it was the Services who clinched the trophy after they defeated the mighty Haryana side in the final, which ended 39-22. Pardeep Narwal, Surjeet and Nitin Tomar, the captains of the Patna Pirates, Bengal Warriors and UP Yoddha respectively, all played for the team that went on to win the title.

The move will certainly come as a huge relief for the fans, who will get to see their favourite PKL stars in new avatars and teams, especially after missing on out on the Asian Championships triumph in November.