Kabaddi is one of the sports which has seen exponential growth in the country. Ever since the start of the Pro Kabaddi League, the game has fetched more followers than it had earlier. With more followers comes more market and budget. Kabaddi is a prime example of the same. Before 2014, the investment that went into the game was pretty low and there were complaints about the facilities as well but ever since the emergence of Pro Kabaddi League, the standard of the game, the facilities have improved a lot. Those days, the players had to take up secondary jobs to run their families.
At present, with Pro Kabaddi League contracts, the players shall survive without a second job. This demand for Kabaddi is all likely to increase with time. Currently, Pro Kabaddi League is the second most-watched franchise sport in India, only behind Indian Premier League. This is a huge achievement because other such franchise leagues like Indian Super League were developed a couple of years before PKL.
Notably, in 2019, the Government went on to sanction a budget of INR 1.30 Crore to build a Kabaddi Indoor Stadium.
Government Budget for PKL
While there are no proper details regarding the budget that would go into Kabaddi League, the amount is certainly going to be big. Every year, Government would release Sports Budget for that particular year. This is the first time, the Sports Ministry has got a fillip with the government allocating Rs 3,397.32 crore, an increase of Rs 723.97 crore.
The budget is Rs 2673.35 crore as against the actual allocation of Rs 3,062.60 crore.
The revision in the budget is due to the fact that there would be Asia Cup and Olympics in 2023/24.
The Khelo Games remain a priority for the Government and it is being allotted Rs 1,045 crore as against the revised allocation of Rs 606 crore during the previous financial year.
On the other hand, The Sports Authority of India, which will oversee the wellness of the athletes, providing proper infrastructure among others had seen INR 36 crore increase in the budget for the Government financial year 2023/24.
While we don't know the exact budget allotted for the sport, one can say that it did see a significant increase due to the Government budget. The numbers are likely to increase for the next financial year as well.
The budget allotted for each franchise
The budget allocated for each franchise in the PKL has significantly increased over time. In the last edition, all 12 franchises were awarded INR 4.4 Crore for the players. Each team will be allowed to pick up a minimum of 18 players and a maximum of 25.
When is the upcoming season?
The upcoming season of PKL 2023 is likely to take place in the final couple of months of the year. With the cricket World Cup coming up and since both tournaments have the same broadcasters, the tournament will have to be played in December or November month. The auction for the same is likely to take place in the August month. All the teams will have a great eye on the upcoming Asia Cup Championship as well as the ongoing Khelo Games. We can also expect several players to have an opportunity. Several players have picked up the form and will look to post it here.
