Popular singer Badshah and businessman Punit Balan buy sixth team in Ultimate Kho Kho

Popular singer Badshah will add glamor and excitement to Ultimate Kho Kho (UKK) as he joins the league as co-owner of the Mumbai franchise alongside businessman Punit Balan.

The Mumbai Ultimate Kho Kho franchise will be jointly owned by the rapper and renowned film producer, developer, and sports enthusiast, Punit Balan.

The Mumbai-based side are the sixth and final team in the ambitious UKK. The inaugural edition of Ultimate Kho Kho will be played later this year. The organizers will announce the final schedule of the matches in a few weeks' time.

Fascinated by the pace and elegant style of the game as well as the sentimental value (his mother used to play kho kho in college) the sport has for him, Badshah believes Ultimate Kho Kho has humongous potential. He aims to inspire and build superstars in this indigenous sport through this association.

An excited Badshah spoke about his first sporting venture, telling the media:

“My mother used to play Kho-Kho during her college days and this ground-rooted game is very close to my heart. This nostalgic and personal connection triggered me to be a part of Ultimate Kho Kho.”

Kho Kho is one of the fastest Indian sports and requires stamina, skill, speed, and fitness to make a mark on the field.

“It’s an adrenaline packed, fast-paced indoor sport with extremely agile players doing sky-dives in the air. In general, the culture of Mumbai is fast and efficient and that’s what we want this team to be. My vision would be to nurture the best players out of this league, and we want to ensure the best environment, infrastructure, training, and nutrition for the players,” he added.

A young and dynamic entrepreneur, Balan is one of the few new-age sports investors. Besides heading the Balan Group, Punit Balan also owns teams in various sporting leagues like badminton, tennis, table tennis, and handball.

The Balan Group, a company valued at INR 3,500 crore, has also made investments in sports employment start-ups and actively supports various sportspeople.

“It’s very important to adopt the right approach if you want to grow something. I have been involved in developing sports through leagues in the past and now alongside Ultimate Kho Kho, I want to play a part in kho kho’s journey to success,” said Balan, the co-owner of the Mumbai franchise.

The traditional sport originated in Maharashtra and the state has been a dominant force on the Indian kho kho circuit.

Three Maharashtra teams competed at the National Kho Kho Championships and Khelo India Youth Games

Three teams from the state of Maharashtra took part in the National Kho Kho Championships. They were present at the recently concluded Khelo India Youth Games as well. Maharashtra emerged as champions in both the boys' and girls' categories of the event.

“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Badshah and Punit as co-owners of the sixth franchise. We have already onboarded big corporates as well as the Government of Odisha and now these two popular names from the entertainment sector reflect the positioning and caliber of the league," said Ultimate Kho Kho CEO, Tenzing Niyogi.

“Kho-Kho has deep roots in Maharashtra, and a team representing the state’s capital will surely help us bolster the popularity of the game.”

With Badshah and Balan joining in, Ultimate Kho Kho is taking even greater steps towards revolutionizing this indigenous game. The league has already added top corporate names to its roster, including the Government of Odisha in collaboration with ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel, the Adani Group, GMR Group, Capri Global, and KLO Sports.

The Ultimate Kho Kho league will be broadcast across Sony Network India’s (SPNI) sports channels SonyTEN 1(SD & HD), SonyTEN 3 (SD & HD), SonyTEN 4 and on SonyLIV in various languages.