Local boy Arjun Honappa, seeded eighth, breezed into the title round of the KTTPA-AITA under-18 championship series tennis tournament after a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Delhi’s Sheikh Mohd Iftikar on Thursday.
Arjun will now face Theyjos Oges in the final after the Tamil Nadu lad easily overcame state-mate Yeshwanth Lognathan 6-1, 6-3 in the other semifinal.
In the girls’ event, top seed Rashmka Rajan was forced to pull out due to an ankle injury, leaving her opponent Krithika Umesh to face SB Apoorva for the crown. The Karnataka girl beat second seed Prathibha PN 7-5, 6-2 in their semi clash.
Tamil Nadu pair clinched the boys’ and girls’ doubles events. While M Hariharan and Nidish defeated Deepak Senthil Kumar and Krishna Teja 2-6, 6-4, 10-3, the girls’ doubles team of Sruthi Laxman and Divya Vani were made to work for their 7-6 (5), 7-5 win over Apoorva and Krithika.
Alessandro Rosa Vieira or more commonly known as Falcao is a star in his own ranks. Dubbed as the Pele of futsal, Falcao is here on a mission -- to spread futsal to the untouched territory of India.
“I want to take futsal to India. I am here to play (the game) and show what futsal is all about,” he said on the sidelines of the launch of a nation-wide futsal talent hunt programme.
The three-time World Futsal Player of the Year is the brand ambassador of Premier Futsal League, a first-of-its-kind futsal league that will see a number of acclaimed futsallers participate in a 12-day-long league. And Falcao can’t wait to enthrall the Indians with his skills.
“I am very happy to be chosen as the brand ambassador. But now that I am here, I would like my game to do the talking. I will also be helping in bringing a handful of well known futsallers across the world for the competition,” he continued describing his role.
Having penned a five-year-long deal with the league, Falcao wants to take the game to the kids and help it develop from the grassroots. “The most important target is to develop the game here so that people in India know what futsal is all about.
“But for this, I want to take the game to the kids in schools and academies so seven years down the line, India can have a great futsal player of international standard,” he said.
In the past, there have been a number of footballing superstars who have attributed their success in the longer version of the game to futsal. Be it Neymar, Kaka, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho or even Zico, all believe that their time on the futsal court have helped them in developing into the player that the world know them as. “No doubt about that, it does play a major role,” asserted Falcao describing the importance of futsal in moulding a player.
“Spain is a great example. Spanish football’s landscape changed and it started to grow once they changed the way the team trained and adopted the futsal style. Futsal is much faster and quicker, so you need to be on your toes always. It’s full of tricks and though it’s just 20-minute a half, it’s much more demanding than football,” added the two-time FIFA Futsal World Cup winner.
Though the Brazilian great is expected to have very little competition when he takes to the court in the league come July, Falcao believes that this is more of an opportunity for him to help the players around him develop their game.
“I don’t know what to expect. But we’re clear on the goal we have set, to develop the game in the country. We also want to help the Indian players grow and match the level that is needed on the international stage. So that’s something I will be concentrating on,” he stressed.
Premier Futsal League: Hunt for new faces begins
Bengaluru: May 13, 2016, DHNS
A month after they inked a deal to rope in futsal superstar Alessandro Rosa Vieira of Brazil, popularly known as Falcao, Premier Futsal League launched its nationwide talent hunt programme on Thursday.
The programme will target players between the age group of 18-24 and is expected to cover all the eight franchisee cities -- Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Delhi, Mumbai, Goa and Kochi -- roping in 20-25 players per city.
The selected players will then attend a training camp in Mumbai, which will also serve as the final selection round ahead of the inaugural season of the league. The first round will begin on May 26 in Mumbai, while the Bengaluru leg will be held the next day.
“We want to ensure that footballers in our country get enough opportunity to showcase their skills and make a living out of the game if they’re good enough,” said Dinesh Raj, the managing director of Premier Futsal league.
“The shortlisted players from the eight cities will head to Mumbai for a camp, where they will train alongside international players and from there, five players will be selected by each team,” he added about the selection of the Indian players for the 14-member squad that will consist of one marquee player, five Indian players and eight international players.
Dinesh also confirmed that the league management was in talks with a number of private entities as they continue the hunt for team owners. “We are yet to get a clarity on that front. We are in talks with a number of guys as many organisations have shown interest in having a team in the league. The talks are still on and we expect to announce the teams by June,” he stated.
Though the All India Football Federation (AIFF), following a FIFA directive, still has reservations in recognising the league, Dinesh assured that it was not a concern for the league. “I don’t think it matters much. If you look at it, they can’t recognise us as AIFF is the governing body for football in India and not futsal. We have been recognised by the Futsal Association of India and moreover, the World Futsal Association (AMF) has also granted us recognition,” he said.
Former women's skipper pens down hardships of her playing days
New Delhi, May 12, 2016 (PTI)
Former India women's football team captain Sona Chaudhary, who has made serious allegations against the sport's administrators in her recently launched book, said the female players were treated badly during her playing days.
Chaudhary, who claims to have played for India between 1994 and 1998, has made the allegations in her book titled 'Game in Game'. The book is written in Hindi. Speaking to PTI, she recalled how the women were treated back then.
"I have not accused any specific person or organisation, I have brought out the deficiencies in the system. How the women footballers were treated badly, how they were given accommodation during tournaments and during tours, what kind of diets they were given, how they fought the odds," said Chaudhary.
She, however, denied that the women players had to pretend that they had relationship among themselves as lesbians to escape sexual harassment from officials. "It is a wrong statement I have not written that in my book. I had said that it was a game played within the game of football," she said.
Talking more about the book, she said: "Today we have a support system in the game. But in our time we didn't. I have written about the things that are spoiling the system. We have suffered a lot as players but I don't want the same for upcoming players. Whatever hardships we faced during our time, I have penned it in my book".
Sources in All India Football Federation (AIFF) said that they are first finding out whether she played for India and if she didn't, the governing body will take strict action against her.
I was not abused by Preity Zinta: Sanjay Bangar
New Delhi, May 12, 2016 (PTI)
Kings XI Punjab coach Sanjay Bangar today dismissed reports which claimed that he was abused by franchise co-owner Preity Zinta following their one run loss against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Mohali on May 9.
"After our one run defeat against RCB, there was the usual post match discussion on the match with Kings XI owners. Some reports in the media have blown the issue totally out of proportion by fabricating a non existent chain of events," said Bangar on his Facebook page.
"Loss by close margin hurts but team has been playing good cricket. No reported abusive or disrespectful language was against me. Kings XI will continue to fight for its survival in the tournament," he added.
A media report had claimed that Zinta hurled expletives at Bangar after the narrow loss. Zinta too has rubbished the report.
"I most definitely DID NOT be disrespectful to our coach nor abuse any one & definitely did not use the FOUR LETTER WORD. Your story reeks of SEXISM and is incorrect & exaggerated beyond words," she wrote on her Facebook page.
"Sanjay & I BOTH have DENIED this story STILL it gets Printed. I am fed up of this nonsense & negativity. Just because our judicial system is slow some Indian Journalists time and again use it to write ANY & EVERYTHING & make soft targets of celebrities," she added.
Kings XI Punjab are languishing at the bottom of the points table with seven losses in 10 matches.
Unbeaten Vijender set for Soldra test
New Delhi: May 13, 2016, DHNS
Indian boxing sensation Vijender Singh was excited to spar in his first eight-round bout against Andrez Soldra at Macron Stadium, Premier Suite, Bolton on Friday and said he was confident to stretch his unchallenged streak.
Vijender has made a sensational start to his professional career by being undefeated in five fights with five knockouts, having fought only 14 rounds. The 30-year-old middleweight boxer is pleased with his show but feels he still has several yards to cover.
“I won’t call it a phenomenal success. But yes I am happy with my performance. There is of course pressure to keep winning. It will be my first eight-round bout. You need a lot of endurance but that is why I am slogging and spending so much time in the gym. My coaches are working hard on me. I still need to keep improving myself,” Vijender told Deccan Herald.
“One needs to adapt himself to the demands of professional boxing. It is all about hard punches and I am working towards adding more power to them. Fitness becomes very important as you get to go through 8-12 rounds at times. So I also need to have a game plan ready.”
Vijender’s homework before a fight includes watching the videos of various bouts. “I watch the bouts of other players and try to pick tips on how they attack and defend. I watch the videos of my opponents before the bout as well,” he said.
Vijendra’s opponent on Friday, Soldra, holds an enviable record of 12 wins with 5 knockouts from 16 fights. The 30-year-old from Poland holds an edge in experience with 81 rounds under his belt and is confident of fighting his first fight abroad. Soldra also had an impressive record in amateur career with 82 wins from 98 fights. He even warned the Indian would be experiencing a “horror show” against him.
Vijender, however, laughed off the threat. “It is professional boxing. People love to say all these things. I am very confident of my chances against him. I have studied his game and I am ready. I want to finish on a winning note. I can’t wait to come home and fight for the title in front of my people. I would love to see their response. I hope they will like it,” he signed off.
It's all about focus: Powell
Rajeev K, May 13, 2016, Bengaluru: DHNS:
Mike Powell strode across the conference room of the Sree Kanteerava stadium, covering the way to the dais elegantly with his long strides.
On the floor marked was the distance that he leapt on that unforgettable August night in 1991 to gain immortality in his chosen field -- 29 feet, 4-1/4 inches. In more familiar terms, 8.95 metres.
Before August 30, 1991, Bob Beamon was the benchmark in long jump. His world record of 8.90 metres, set in the thin air of Mexico City in 1968, teased and tormented all comers for 23 years. With a monster jump in an epic duel with his fellow American Carl Lewis at the World Championships in Tokyo, Powell wiped out Beamon’s mark and inscribed his name in the record books.
The smile that lit up Tokyo that night seems to have stayed with the American even after 25 long years. No surprises there, for it was the jump that defined his career as he chased and defeated a man who had not lost in 65 competitions spanning ten years. Before Tokyo, the score read Carl Lewis 15, Mike Powell 0. “The World Championship was a statement about my life. Everything I did during my whole life until that point was encapsulated in that jump,” Powell, now 52, says. “Everything in my life that I had not achieved, every girl that turned me down for a date, every time I didn’t learn something. That was my moment to show the world.”
In Bengaluru as the International Event Ambassador of TCS World 10K, the long jump legend spoke about his record, his rivalry with Lewis and his sport in general. Excerpts: Did you think your record would survive this long? No. No way. I did not think it would last 20 minutes, let alone 25 years. I thought Carl Lewis is going to come and jump right after and break that record. I thought he would go about 9.10 metres, so I got to go 9.15 metres. When I jumped the world record and he was looking at me trying to get pumped up I was like ‘please Mr Lewis, please let me have the record. You already won everything else. Let me have my night please.’ He only did 8.87. The record shouldn't last this long. It's not good for the event. Records are meant to be broken.
How did you go about breaking the record?
I had to break it, I had to win. It's easier to do something when you have to. In a fight, Mike Tyson might beat you up. But if you got to beat up Mike Tyson to save your kids, I bet you'll beat him up then. That is the way I tried to compete. I got a chance to watch Carl and all the other jumpers who were doing more than 8.15, 8.16. So, I learnt what they were doing. The guys now, they don't know what they are doing. It's pretty simple to me — they are not using speed. To go that far, you have to go fast. You have to accelerate into that board. They are so fixated on the board that they are jumping to the board and we just used to jump up to the sky.
Did you have a hunter's mentality at the time, going after Lewis the way you did?
Oh, yeah. Definitely. I had to with Carl, he was the man, he was the guy in the sport, he had set the standard. But to me, I looked at him like another guy to beat. He happens to be one of the best ever. But if he can do it, I can do it. That was the way I looked at it. There is a movie, The Edge. Anthony Hopkins said in the movie, 'what one man can do, another can do'. That's true. So, I don't put anything past myself or with anybody else. If you put the mind to it, put the work in and don't give up, you are going to get it done.
What were factors on that night that made you both jump big?
Carl had just broken the world record in 100M. And the key to jumping long is running fast. So in my mind I had to break the record to beat him. Then on top of that I hated Carl. He was my idol at first but after I started competing, I thought I had to demonise this guy. So if he didn’t speak to me, I would be like ‘he didn’t speak to me.’ If he did, I would be like, ‘he said this to me.’ Whatever he did, he was my enemy.
Why do you think this record is still intact?
It's a hard record to break. The long jump has always been this way. If you go back to the beginning of the century in 1900, there was a guy who had a record for 21 years. Jesse Owens had the record for 25 years. Bob Beamon had it for 23 years and I have had it for 25 years. To me, the long jump is the hardest event to do. You have to have a sprinter's speed and then go up in the air with it and land safely. It is very difficult to get that transition from horizontal speed to vertical lift. That is the trick. The young guys are not able to do it.
You have the world record but not an Olympic gold...
It’s still disappointing, it hurts. To me, Carl beat me with his mind. You know, and I allowed him to do that. He can’t do it now, back then he did. He’s a master. He knew that if I got that big jump out there early, it’s hard. It’s hard to come back at 8.60 and 8.70 he went out there and he wanted to win. The Olympics (1992) was bad, I lost the gold by three centimetres.
Would you swap your record for the gold?
I’ll take the world record. Carl asks me this all the time. He asked: ‘Man you got that record.’ And I go: ‘Man you got nine gold medals, so give me a break. You want everything? So if you give me four of those medals and I get to choose the ones that I want. Then I’ll change for that. (Decathlon legend) Daley Thompson told me something in 1996 that really saved me. After I didn’t win the medal there, I was hurt. Thompson told me, ‘Mike, you are not measured by the gold medals but by the world record.’
In this particular case, in long jump, the world record stands above the gold. Look at Greg Rutherford, he won the gold in 2012 and everybody is talking about him because he jumped so short. But he has something that I don’t have. But those guys had it easy. I had to break a 20-year-old world record and beat a guy who hadn’t lost for 10 years and a guy who just finished breaking the 100M record.
You helped Anju George prepare for the 2004 Olympics...
That was fun and I wish I kept working with her. She still had a lot more in her. She was an Olympian, had a great jumping ability and way better landing than I had. She didn’t work on her speed and I didn’t have enough time to teach her that.
What do you look for in aspiring youngsters?
(Taps on his heart). Heart, I look for his heart. Then I go into how fast they are and how far they can jump. But if they don’t have the heart, it doesn’t matter. You have to train hard and you have to be so strong mentally to beat the competition. And (you have to) focus, that’s hard. I didn’t do it in 1992 (at the Barcelona Olympic Games). I lose it a bit too. Where does mental strength come in?
It’s the No 1 thing. People who have been successful in any line of work, (they are) strong mentally and (have) belief beyond anything. I can sit here and dream of breaking the world record (again) and you guys will say I’m crazy. You gotta have that belief. Everybody will be against you. It’s easy to be human and start questioning yourself. ‘May be silver is not bad after all’, stuff (like that) creeps into your head.
It’s all about focus. Get a good plan, programme and system together. Then make that system consistent and put in the work. The work, the work, the work, the work, the work, the work, the work. No matter what it is, the work comes first. If I have to work on my flexibility, if it takes 10 hours of stretching a day for making my head reach the knee, I will do that. Because that’s how focused I am.
Champ nursing shot at Olympics!
Bengaluru, May 13, 2016, DHNS:
The state of long jump these days is such that Mike Powell still nurses ambitions of one more shot at Olympic glory.
Powell says he will make a serious attempt to make it to the American squad for Rio Games this time, notwithstanding the fact that he is 52.
“I am serious. You don’t forget how to jump. 8.05 is the mark to gain entry to the trials and I am very confident about that,” he says. “I am good enough to jump 8.30. It won’t be that hard. I know exactly how to do it. Jumping that you will be in contention for a medal at any Olympics.
“I have always been a competitor. I believe in what I believe. How can people doubt me? I am the master of the long jump. I am the Beethoven of the long jump. I am the Bach of long jump. I don’t say things for nothing. I am going to make that team. Because I have told my daughter that daddy is going to the Olympics. That’s my biggest motivation. Fifty is not old.
Powell points out that while other events have progressed, long jumpers have slipped. “In the Olympics in 2012, 8.11 was the bronze. Every other event has progressed or stayed close to the mark. 100M, 200M you name it. But in long jump, it’s way back. If you take Jesse Owens’ mark of 8.13 can win a medal in 2012, that’s unheard of. The sport is in such a pathetic state that you can count on me! There are talented guys. But they don’t know what they are doing. I was at the World Championship last year, I was like, I can get all these guys.”
Powell against Russians at Rio
Bengaluru, May 13, 2016, DHNS:
Reeling under one doping controversy after the other, Russian athletes are in a race against time to get clearance to compete at the Rio Olympic Games.
Mike Powell feels they shouldn’t allowed to take part as corrupt practices are deep-rooted in the Russian system.
“They have been doing that for a long time. I feel sorry for a lot of the athletes but there is a system. They have to break the system, change the culture and that’s going to be tough,” Powell says.
“Russia is a different place. They have a different way of doing things. Every country has a way of doing things and Russia is like hard. They want to do well, then they are going to make it happen. Whenever there is a World Championships in the Soviet country, when I was there I was like ‘I bet you, they are going to have 5-6 who win.’ And half of them are dirty.
“It’s unfortunate but when I was competing my coach told me ‘you can get the same result as someone using steroids by training smart and hard.’ All steroids does is to make sure you can train harder the next day. You recover faster.
“You can tell when people are guilty. They don’t celebrate that much and I go ‘man you won the gold in Olympics and that’s all you got?’
Doping rows are rocking track and field but Powell feels much of the criticism is unfair. He though backs a life-ban for cheats.
“I think that athletics is not treated fairly,because we are the ones who bust our stars. Other sports don’t do that. And we get blamed for it,” he says.
“You know people are going to cheat. Every line, any endeavour you get into — where there’s money, power or influence involved, people are going to cheat.
“No matter what you do, people are going to cheat. If you get caught, you should be gone to life. Unless there are some circumstances where may be some mistakes in testing has happened.”
Reports on Vettori amuse Kohli
Bengaluru, May 13, 2016, DHNS:
India’s Test captain Virat Kohli appeared amused about the news of him recommending the name of Daniel Vettori, who also coaches the Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, for the position of India’s coach.
With Ravi Shastri’s contract as the team’s director ending at the conclusion of the World T20, the BCCI is looking to appoint a coach for the Indian team, a job for which Vettori is one of the front runners.
While he didn’t deny recommending the name of the former New Zealand skipper, Kohli expressed his surprise over the issue cropping up at this moment.
“I don’t see it as a controversy at all,” noted Kohli when asked a pointed question on the sidelines of a function. “See, all these things do come up when there is a scenario when you have to appoint someone (as coach). I don’t know how it has come out now.
I have spoken to him (Vettori) a while back. We have spoken to a few other people as well and everyone knows about it. I can’t say anything more about it because I don’t know why it has come out now,” he offered. “You guys (media) seem to know more about it, so I will wait for your verdict on that,” he quipped as a parting remark.
Kumble retained ICC Cricket Committee head, Dravid made member
Dubai, May 13, 2016, (PTI):
Former India captain Anil Kumble was today re-appointed ICC Cricket Committee chairman for a second term of three years while his one-time team-mate and batting great Rahul Dravid was named member of the top panel. Kumble, the all-time highest wicket-taker for India, was appointed as the chairman for his first term in 2012 and will now continue to head the panel until 2018.
Meanwhile, another former India captain Dravid and ex-Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene have been appointed to the ICC Cricket Committee, adding even more cricketing experience to the list of eminent people already on the panel.
Dravid and Jayawardene have played 1,161 international matches between them from 1996 to 2015, and each has been appointed for a three-year term.
They will attend their first meeting at Lord's on May 31 and June 1, three weeks before the ICC Annual Conference takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland, the ICC said in a statement.
Dravid has been elected by the current Test captains as current player representatives, replacing former Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara, who has completed his final three-year term.
Jayawardene has been appointed as a past player representative and takes over from former Australia captain Mark Taylor, who has also completed his final three-year term. Former Australia off-spinner and ex-Chief Executive of Federation of International Cricketers' Association (FICA), Tim May, has also been elected by the current Test captains as current player representative, replacing Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, who has completed his three-year term.
Richard Kettleborough, three-time ICC Umpire of the Year, has been appointed as umpires' representative in the committee and replaces Steve Davis, who retired last year.
ICC General Manager – Cricket, Geoff Allardice, who also administers the ICC Cricket Committee meeting, said: "I want to thank Mark Taylor, Kumar Sangakkara, Laxman Sivaramakrishnan and Steve Davis for their significant contribution to this committee.
"I welcome Rahul Dravid, Mahela Jayawardena, Tim May and Richard Kettleborough, and I am confident that these highly credentialed individuals will carry on the good work of their predecessors to make the sport even more competitive and attractive."
The ICC Cricket Committee is representative of all stakeholders in the modern game, including players, umpires and the media. It is empowered to make recommendations on cricket playing issues to the Chief Executives' Committee (CEC) and, if the matter is a policy matter, the ICC Board for approval.
Mumbai Indians opt to bat against Kings XI Punjab
Visakhapatnam, May 13, 2016, (PTI)
Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to bat in their Indian Premier League match against Kings XI Punjab here today.
Mumbai Indians are playing Unmukt Chand in place of Parthiv Patel, while Glenn Maxwell returns to Kings XI Punjab and Gurkeerat Singh replaces Anureet Singh.
Kings XI Punjab: Murali Vijay (capt), Hashim Amla, Wriddhiman Saha†, Glenn Maxwell, David Miller, Marcus Stoinis, Gurkeerat Singh, Axar Patel, Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Sharma, KC Cariappa.
Mohit Chillar bought for Rs 53 lakh by Bengaluru Bulls
Mumbai, May 13, 2016, (PTI)
Defender Mohit Chillar, a clerk in North Western Railway, saw his earnings jump nine-fold from 2014 when Bengaluru Bulls made a successful bid to grab him for a substantial amount of Rs 53 lakh for the upcoming season 4 of the Pro Kabaddi League at the players' auction today.
The successful bid for Chillar by Bengaluru for the right corner defender from season 2 champions U Mumba was the highest of the day at the auctions held here.
Going into the auction each of the eight teams had been allowed to retain two players each who were with them for season 3.
Chillar, who is set to turn 23 on July 13, had been bid for Rs 5.75 lakh at the first players' action held in 2014 prior to season 1 of PKL, a property jointly owned by broadcasters Star Sports and Mashal Sports.
"I feel very happy. I did not expect to get this much as I thought I would go from between 35 and 40 lakh," Chillar, who hails from Nizampur village which is 30 kms from the Capital, told reporters via a conference call here.
"I take special leave without pay from my employers when I take part in the PKL," said Chillar who, however, said he does not entertain any thoughts of quitting his job after the windfall.
Sandeep Narwal, of season 3 champions Patna Pirates, was successfully bid for by Telugu Titans for Rs 45.5 lakh while U Mumba held on to Jeeva Kumar for Rs 40 lakh, in the bidding for Group A players, whose base price was kept at Rs 12 lakh.
Season 4 of PKL, to be held less than four months after the completion of season 3 in early March, is to be held from June 25 to July 31 with the first leg matches scheduled at Pune and the two semi finals and final at Hyderabad.
The others bid for in Group A were: Jasmer Singh Gulia rpt Gulia - Rs 35.5 lakh - Telugu Titans (old team Puneri Palton); Kuldeep Singh - 30.4 lakh - Patna Pirates - (old team Jaipur Pink Panthers); Surendar Nada - 30 lakh - Bengaluru Bulls (old team U Mumba); Dharmaraj Cheralathan - Rs 29 lakh - Patna Pirates (old team Telugu Titans); Rakesh Kumar - Rs 26 lakh (retained by U Mumba); Bajirao Hodage - Rs 20 lakh - Patna Pirates (old team Bengal Warriors) and Ajay Thakur - Rs 19 lakh (retained by Puneri Paltan).
All eight teams had retained two players each - all Indians - before the auction in which Group B players had a base price of Rs 8 lakh and Group C players Rs 5 lakh. The retained players were:
Group B: Selvamani K (Raider, Dabang Delhi), Pawan Kumar (Raider, Bengaluru Bulls) and Rajesh Mondal (Raider, Patna Pirates).
Group C: Ashish Kumar (Defender, Bengaluru Bulls).
Each franchise had a total purse of Rs two crore to be spent at today's action after deducting the amount they had spent on retaining the allowed limit of two players.
"We will increase the prize money which was 2.6 crore, including the individual prizes, in season 3. This is the third PKL season in a period of 12 months. At this auction the disparity between the amounts bid for raiders and defenders has come down and it's more equal now," said League Commissioner Anupam Goswami.
"The league is being broadcast to 96 countries. We have got very interesting feedback from the UK, Denmark and Poland. Recently (Indian Kabaddi Federation's president Janardhan Singh) Gehlot was in Pakistan and he said in the auction that everyone was talking about Pro Kabaddi," said Goswami.
Only one player from Pakistan, Muhammad Rizwan, was picked at the auction - by Telugu Titans - from among eight players who were available, Mashal Sports' Charu Sharma said.
"Though the Indian government has been very supportive (of Pak players playing in PKL), there's still just a little bit of apprehension locally (among the franchises)," he said.
Bollywood actor and Jaipur Pink Panthers owner Abhishek Bachchan said that PKL "has made a huge difference to players' lives. They can now take it a as a professional career."
"Kabaddi is a profitable venture for me," he added.
