Women's Pro Kabaddi League: Organisers moot WPL-styled league

A women's Pro Kabaddi League women's tournament could happen soon buoyed by the success of the men's league. | File photo (Image: PTI)

In what will be a major boost to women's sports in the country, the organisers of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) are looking to launch a franchise-based women's tournament. Marshal Sports, the organisers of PKL, want to create a tournament that follows the footsteps of the Women's Premier League (WPL) T20 tournament, which begins in Mumbai on March 4.

The PKL is in its 10th year and will be launched in collaboration with the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) and the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF), and the women's tournament could follow soon buoyed by the success of the men's league.

In a statement released to the press, Anupam Goswami, CEO of Marshal Sports and PKL Commissioner, said. “Our plans for a professional women's kabaddi league are based on the success we have seen in the men's league and our commitment to grow kabaddi as a modern world-class sport from India. We will be working with our various stakeholders, including the AKFI and IKF to launch the women's league.”

Dreams into reality

A women's league was already contemplated when a trial league was organised in 2016. Three teams — Firebirds, IceDivas, and StormQueens — took part in this tournament, which was called the Women's Kabaddi Challenge.

V Tejeswini Bai, who captained the women's team to a gold medal finish in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games, says a franchise-based women's tournament will be a dream come true for many.

"Ever since the launch of Pro Kabaddi League in 2014, women kabaddi players in India have aspired for a professional kabaddi league of their own. Now, a women's version of PKL will be a big dream come true for every woman kabaddi athlete in India, and also for women kabaddi athletes from other countries," she said.

The organisers have not yet confirmed a starting date for the women's PKL at the time of publishing this article.