MASHAL Sports, organisers of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), on Tuesday (5) said the return of PKL with Season 8 will start on December 22. The tournament was last held in 2019 when Bengal Warriors were the winners.
The auction for the players for this year’s tournament was held between August 29 and 31 in Mumbai. Keeping the health and safety of the players and stakeholders in consideration, the league this year will be held behind closed doors at a single venue in Bangalore in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, marking a departure from the traditional caravan format.
Speaking on the return of PKL Season 8, Anupam Goswami, CEO, Mashal Sports and League Commissioner, VIVO Pro Kabaddi League said: “We are very privileged that Season 8 of the VIVO Pro Kabaddi League will be hosted in Karnataka, especially as this state is very significant geography for kabaddi and PKL fans in India. Bengaluru has all the facilities for the conduct of big competitive sports events with best safety practices, and we look forward to demonstrating this with PKL Season 8.”
Welcoming the league to Karnataka, the state’s chief minister Basavaraj Bommai said, “Kabaddi is a genuine indigenous sport of India and very popular in Karnataka. We welcome and support the conduct of forthcoming Pro Kabaddi Season 8 in our state.”
The league will implement protocols to comply with government regulations and guidelines and will work with specialised safety agencies to implement stringent safety practices and create a bio-secure bubble, a first for any professional indoor contact sports league in the country.
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