Yuva Kabaddi Series: India’s Fastest-Growing Kabaddi League

Yuva Kabaddi Series (YKS) is an initiative to change the face of grassroots kabaddi in India by creating a professional platform for young Indian stars. Founded in 2022, YKS has rapidly emerged as one of the most competitive and organized developmental leagues, providing state and district-level athletes a chance to compete at a higher level. Unlike traditional kabaddi tournaments, the series adopted a league-based format, with several editions hosted throughout the year, maintaining continuous gameplay and talent scouting. In this role, YKS is not just a crucial feeder system for national and pro-level kabaddi; its advanced analytics, live broadcasts, and digital presence are helping to identify cross-court stars of the future. While advancing the country’s dominance in the sport, the Yuva Kabaddi Series is changing the face of Indian kabaddi with the mix of extreme competitive spirit, structured training, and exposure.

Rise of Yuva Kabaddi Series 

The Yuva Kabaddi Series (YKS), which started in 2022, was founded to fill the missing link between grassroots kabaddi and professional leagues in the country. YKS, conceived by Suhail Chandhok and Vikas Kumar Gautam, plans to create an organized, competitive identity for age group players under the age of 23 to portray their skill sets and provide them with an insight into the experience at the National Level.

The first edition in Jaipur laid the groundwork for the year-round league format and was followed by successful editions in Ranchi and Pondicherry in the same year. Notably, each tournament has a multi-stage format to ensure intense competition and talent hunting. In 2023, YKS had grown tremendously, with the Karnataka Summer Edition recording 120 matches and Palani Tuskers emerging as champion.

YKS has quickly emerged as a talent pool, where over 2,400 players, including 15 current Indian national players come from 23 state associations, for a new breed of stars for the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) and international tournaments. With a data-driven format, live telecasts, and a robust training platform, the PKL has been a game changer for kabaddi in India. Today, YKS remains at the forefront of revolutionizing the sport, providing aspiring young talent a direct pathway to professional kabaddi, ensuring that the rich legacy of the game continues through the next generation.

Yuva Series Tournament Format & Structure 

The Yuva Kabaddi Series (YKS) is among the largest breeding grounds for young kabaddi talent in the country. The competition creates an environment that is structured and competitive, targeting competitors under the age of 23 and under the weight of 80kg. All editions of YKS are carefully planned for full-fledged competition and the growth and cultivation of talent.

Tournament Structure: 

The YKS tournament consists of several rounds, each of which serves a specific purpose in the journey to the championship. Here’s what a normal structure looks like:

• Survival Round 1: 

All teams play each other in one round-robin. The best teams earn bonus points and arrive better positioned for the next round.

• Survival Round 2: 

The teams remain in contention. The team with the lowest rank will be eliminated in the end. 

• Booster Round: The teams compete for a place in the next round. With the premise of another elimination, it narrows down the competition even more.

• Challenger round: The Challenger round determines the last set of teams moving forward to the Summit round. So here it is, teams fighting for the title need to perform here.

• Last Round of Summit: The last phase of the tournament, which includes playoffs, qualifiers, as well as eliminator games, right up to the final.

YKS Format:

To instill competitive play, the YKS uses a dynamic format, which is explained below: 

• Win: 5 or 6 points, based on victory margin.

• Draw/Tie: Each team earns 3 points.

• Narrow Loss: A team that loses by a small margin is awarded 1 point.

• Elimination: Through each round, one team needs to be eliminated; that process consists of the elimination of the team with less qualification to ensure only the latest teams are burned.

• Venue & Prize Distribution: The matches are played at selected venues that have the facilities to host high-octane kabaddi games. Like, the Summer Edition 2023 was held at the Chamundi Vihar Indoor Stadium, Mysore. The winners of the tournament in each category are awarded Rs. 10,00,000 in cash, with runners-up getting Rs. 5,00,000.

List of Participating Teams: Yuva Series Kabaddi India

There are a total of 22 participating teams in the Yuva series of Kabaddi. Here are the names of the teams: 

• Palani Tuskers
• Chola Veerans
• Chambal Challengers
• Nilgiri Knights
• Dehradun Dynamos
• Konark Kings
• Maurya Mavericks
• Himalayan Tahrs
• Indore Invincibles
• Ladakh Wolves
• Vasco Vipers
• Hampi Heroes
• Aravalli Arrows
• Kaziranga Rhinos
• Periyar Panthers
• Ranchi Rangers
• Sindh Sonics
• Murthal Magnets
• Vijayanagara Veers
• Panchala Pride
• Tadoba Tigers
• Maratha Marvels

Remarkable Outcomes & Editions: Yuva Kabaddi Series 

The Yuva Kabaddi Series (YKS) stands as a prominent platform for reigning kabaddi stars in next-generation kabaddi, providing cutthroat competition while promoting the future of the sport. The latest editions, Summer Edition 2024 and Monsoon Edition 2024, provided us with fun, interesting action, tactical battles, as well as remarkable individual displays. Here’s a closer look at those editions, including key players.

Summer Edition 2024

Teams went head-to-head over weeks of grueling matches, fighting for glory at the Summer Edition 2024. This season marked a rising standard for young kids who play kabaddi, an extreme test of skill and fitness.

Standout Performances: 

• Prafull Zaware (Best Raider of the Tournament): Zaware was head and shoulders above the competition as he claimed the best raider of the tournament crown, finishing with 207 raid points to his name. With agility, quick reflexes, and a tactical mind, he was a defender’s nightmare. And it was him, who delivered for his team, winning crucial points in the games all along the tournament.

• Dadaso Pujari (Best Defender of the Tournament): Pujari was the best defensive player of the tournament, scoring 61 tackle points. His knack for reading the Raiders and timing their tackles to perfection was a huge asset for his side.

Monsoon Edition 2024

An even more fierce array of teams marked the Monsoon Edition 2024, increasing the rivalry for the title. There were plenty of tactical master classes, in-your-face playstyles, and jaw-dropping finishes across multiple matches this season.

Standout Performances: 

• Mitesh (Consistent and Impactful Raider): Mitesh may have struggled with his team in the league, but as a raider, he never failed to perform, finishing with 194 points in 14 matches. His ability to successfully perform raiding during high-pressure situations made him one of the memorable players of the Monsoon Edition. 

Final Thoughts 

The Yuva Kabaddi Series (YKS) has placed itself as India’s foremost youth kabaddi structure to grow and develop new ideas. YKS steps up the game with its structured tournaments, the Summer and Monsoon Editions, at which aspiring players can show their skills in a highly competitive and intense environment. The 2024 editions had record performances as well, with Prafull Zaware, Dadaso Pujari, and Mitesh showing great consistency. YKS is continuing to raise the bar for Indian kabaddi, providing an opportunity at the national level, with the involvement of professional coaches and scouts that aim to close the gap between grassroots players and Pro Kabaddi League (PKL).

Read More:
Fundamental Skills of Kabaddi
Top 10 Best Kabaddi Players

Frequently Asked Questions