Star Sports Pro Kabaddi has witnessed some thrilling edge of the seat action hosting a new and modern avatar of the Indian Sport – Kabaddi. While the first two seasons of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi enthralled the audience across segments, making it the second most viewed sport in the country, a large chunk of the fans comprised of celebrities. Adding to the host of luminaries chanting ‘Le Panga’ across the first two seasons, is upcoming superstar from South India’s movie industry – Yash, who has been signed as one of the brand ambassadors of the league.
Expressing his views, Sanjay Gupta, COO, Star India, said, “The first two seasons of the league saw an overwhelming response from TV viewers, stadium spectators and sports enthusiasts. With season 3, we will scale up our reach and keep raising the league’s value for viewers, players and franchises through high-end production, marketing, communication and grassroots programme. The fast pace and mental agility associated with Kabaddi has gripped people across the country and we, at Star India are delighted that our vision for Kabaddi through Star Sports Pro Kabaddi is shaping up well, with Kabaddi becoming the second most viewed sport in the country, after cricket.”
Kannada actor, Yash, struck the scene with his lead performance in his first solo hit, Modalasala, which turned out to be a blockbuster of the year churning big numbers. The dashing star followed this up with his performance in Rajadhani in 2011, for which he received a lot of critical accolades. His movie ‘Mr. and Mrs. Ramachari’, a 2014 Indian Kannada romance drama film emerged as the highest grossing Kannada film. Yash will be adding to the enthusiasm of millions of kabaddi fans, especially those in Karnataka where the league has been a big hit and there is widespread fan support for the local team.
Excited about his new role, Yash said, “I am extremely happy to be associated with Star Sports Pro Kabaddi and am anxiously awaiting the start of Season 3. Star India has been instrumental in promoting and popularising the sport in this exciting new format. I cannot wait to meet the players and learn some of the tackles and moves from them. The physical and mental agility that these players exhibit is commendable. I am looking forward to seeing them in action on ground from close quarters.”
K. Madhavan, President – South, Star India said, “The first two seasons of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi were a spectacular success and well received by our regional markets. Kabaddi fans were seen cheering for their local heroes and are anxiously awaiting the upcoming season. Season 3 of the league promises to be only bigger and better and we look forward to this association with Yash.”
Like the last season, this time too, the national anthem’s renditions promise to be a feature on each match day. These will be performed by icons from the film and music industry, sportspersons and local musicians and bands, philanthropists and people who have changed the society for the better. Yash will be performing the National Anthem during one of days of the opening leg of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi in Bengaluru.
Season 3 of Star Sports Pro Kabaddiwill reach out to significant clusters of populations in Karnataka through exclusive commentary feed in Kannada along with English, Hindi and Telugu. Star Sports Star Sports Pro Kabaddi will also be broadcasted globally to audience in over 100 countries, including United States, United Kingdom, Middle East and Latin America.
Star Sports Pro Kabaddi, which is promoted by Mashal Sports and Star India with the backing of the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India and International Kabaddi Federation, will feature a total of 159 players across 8 teams.
The action begins in Vizag on January 30, with defending champions U Mumba taking on home team Telugu Titans. The playoffs will take place at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium in New Delhi on the March 4 and 5, 2016 with the largest indoor setup in the history of the league.
