Showing posts with label Pro Kabaddi League Season 2. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pro Kabaddi League Season 2. Show all posts
My dad taught me how to play Kabaddi-Abhishek Bachchan
2:36 PM
Priya Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; August 15, 2015)
India is a cricket fanatic
nation, which gives all its money and love to the game. It is thus
no surprise that so many celebrities own teams related to various
leagues associated with the game. However, Kabaddi is an indigenous
game, a game whose origins lie in our own mythology, a game that
India I has never lost in at the world level and yet, no one came
forward to promote it except for Abhishek Bachchan. Yes, he's a sports
lover, but he could have chosen any other sport but no, he chose
Kabaddi. A year back when the Pro Kabaddi League started, many of us
wondered what made him do that. But by the end of Season 1, it had
become the second most watched sport on Indian television and today, it
has become a spectacle. Excerpts from a conversation with
Abhishek Bachchan, the man who led India to recognise the potential of its own game Kabaddi.
While other stars invested n cricket, you chose Kabaddi. What made you take up the risk of investing n a sport that was perceived to be neither as fashionable nor as popular as cricket?
One, I have always wanted to do something with sport in India right from the time I was a student. I grew up in an environment (at the Aiglon College in Switzerland) surrounded by sport in a school that lay huge amount of emphasis on outdoor activity and sport. So for me, sports was a way of life and it had a huge hand in forming my personality and character. I always felt on one level that being an Indian, there are some sports we are so great at, but why are we great at just some sports? For India, sports is a matter of national pride. I will always remember a visual of Carl Lewis in the 1984 LA Olympics standing on top of that podium after winning the gold medal and he had tears in his eyes with the American flag in his hand and their anthem playing at the back. I remember going to the Asian Games in 1982 when I was a kid and seeing the Indian flag and the pride we felt at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium when an Indian won. I am a huge sports fan and have always played sport and continue to. It's a fantastic release for me and a great way to stay in shape, apart from it being almost therapeutic. I wanted to do something, but in a sport that you could do something with. The reason I never ever considered cricket first on a personal basis is that it was way too expensive, secondly, cricket has a fantastic infrastructure in India as we are a cricket-loving nation. What can I contribute to it, so I never even thought about it. To add to that, I have never even played cricket. Yes, I watch it as a spectator and I love it, but I don't have any great understanding of it. I was in a British school so for me, I was a football fan but I played only basketball, athletics and skiing. I once met the great sports commentator Charu Sharma, the mastermind behind the Pro Kabaddi League, in a social gathering and he asked me, 'Have you ever thought of Kabaddi?' And my reaction too like yours was, 'What Kabaddi?' He took me to a match in Mumbai and I was blown away. I had played Kabaddi casually as a kid and felt that it was dying to erupt on the sporting stage. Instinctively, I said yes to being a part of his league. And today, you come to Pro Kabaddi and you say, 'Oh my God! It's Kabaddi.' That's the victory for us.
Tell us how playing sport helped shape your character?
It teaches you everything, right from teamwork to leadership to dealing with success and failure to building a sportsman spirit. These are all things that we encounter on a daily basis. I was a basketball player in school. You are playing a match where you have a tough opponent, you are down 15 points, but you don't give up, you adapt, dig deep, find the way, find the strength and the capability to go win a match. There are so many situations in life where you come across situations like this. Leadership, I was the captain of my team, how do you lead a team? You lead from the front, lead from the back, how do you change from time to time? Team work, basketball is a game of five people, how do you work with and be a part of the team. There are so many things in life where you will find a parallel in sport.
Any memories of playing Kabaddi as a child?
I was a kid when I saw a film of dad called Ganga Ki Saugand in which there is a sequence where he plays Kabaddi and he says, 'Chal kabaddi chal kabaddi aal taal, mera gucha lal lal. Lal, lal, lal...' I remember I used to find that very cool and would copy that and that's when I first asked my dad, 'What's this game?' and he said, 'Kabaddi'. He drew lines in the garden on the ground and taught me how to play Kabaddi.
The presence of so many stars has made Kabaddi into a spectacle.
Before the start of Season 1, there were no sponsors. I remember talking to Ronnie Screwvala who owns the Mumbai team and he said, 'Mark my words. This is going to be India's biggest sport in times to come.' I said, 'Okay.' And we had the inaugural match. My family was there and very sweetly, Shah Rukh, Aamir, the entire cast of Happy New Year, Sachin Tendulkar were there. I idol worship Sachin and had requested him to come since I was starting something new. And he not just came, but even wore a pink t-shirt. The game started and we lost our first match. Everybody was a bit sombre but the next morning when I woke up, kabaddi had become the cool new sport overnight. A lot of people attributed it to all these huge stars that came be it dad, Aishwarya, mom, Shah Rukh, Aamir and Sachin. But let me tell you, yes glamour does make a sport a spectacle but the spectacle lasts only for 15 minutes. Being a sportsman, I can tell you that you can have the biggest star sitting there and it's okay to see them for a few seconds, but you want to get back to the score. At the end of the day, if the sport is not doing the talking, any amount of glamour will not make a difference. I was flooded with messages that morning that read, 'What is this Kabaddi man?'
Does your team get conscious seeing your superstar family?
They did in the first match. I asked them after we lost the first match of the first season, 'What went wrong?' and they said, 'Woh Amitji ko kabhi dekhe nahi the na? Aur phir unke bagal mein Sachin Tendulkar the, aur phir Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan aur phir upar bhabhi bhi aa gayee.' So they were a bit overwhelmed, but now they are used to it. I think with dad they will always get a bit gobsmacked, but with Aishwarya, she has become bhabhi now. After every match, I put her on a speaker phone with them and she talks to them. They really look forward to that post match ritual.
Why did you pick Jaipur as your city?
First, Mumbai was not available, but also I wanted to pick a city where I could make a difference to in terms of infrastructure. I also have an emotional connection with Jaipur as I shot my first film Refugee there so I felt kabaddi too was a new beginning for me and so chose Jaipur.
Has the life of the players changed after so much interest in the game?
I remember the first time they faced the press in Mumbai, I took my handycam and trained them taking their mock interviews as they had never faced the media before. Many of them had come for the first time to Mumbai that morning that they had free. They were excited to visit the Siddhivinayak Temple. Everyone went out except for this one boy who stayed back in his room. I asked him, 'What did you do? Why did you not go out?' He said, 'Dada main kamre mein tha.' I said, 'Kyun. Why didn't you go and roam around?' He said, 'Dada I have never ever sat on the 25th floor before.' He said, 'Look at this view. It's amazing.' His roommate later told me, that for an hour he played with the curtain in his room as it had a button that he could press to open and shut it. This is how simple they were. In the first press conference in Jaipur, the media only asked me questions. By the end of season 1, it was only them. I didn't answer even one question as they had all become stars.
Your mother Jaya Bachchan usually does not attend sporting events. What makes your parents come for it?
Recently when my dad sung the National Anthem, he did not wear the pink t-shirt as he said, at that point in time I am an Indian. But at all other times, they are both there as my parents and I am convinced that they are there only for me, to support their child.
Does your family support the game as they feel that they are contributing to India?
No, I don't think like that and we are not trying to be righteous about the whole thing. But yes, they are proud of it that it's an Indian sport and they believe in it.
Do you make money from the game now?
Last year no, this year yes. I am not a huge corporate. If I need to change their uniform or upgrade I need to sign a new film. I need to fund it entirely myself. So, for me it's do or die. And that's nice as it allows me to not be complacent about it. I know what it took for me to buy the team, I know what it takes for me to run the team and that's why I micromanage everything. I don't have a corporate structure to manage this right now but in the future I will have that too.
Just seeing the way you cheer and motivate your team and lead from the front, you seem to be a good leader.
Whether I am a good leader only time will tell but do I enjoy their responsibility, yes I welcome it. I have always been the kind of person that if I have to lead, I will lead from the front. I am going to be with the boys, be it football or kabaddi in their victory and their defeat. I want them to feel like a part of my family. I want them to feel that they can come and talk to me about everything including their love problems and they do. I want them to feel reassured that okay the boss is there and he has got a back so he will take care of us, that's what will give them the confidence. As a sportsman, when I was a junior player, I wanted my captain to be there for me. I am going to be angry with them and sulk with them but they know it's out of love. I am not going to disown them when things are not going to be well. If anything I am going to be there even for them that time and ask guys what can we do. Also a great leader is someone who knows when to take the backseat. A person with leadership qualities knows when to take the step back and just because you have not seen it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. In a very private moment with my father many years back when we had our first father-son chat, I told him, 'Pa I assure you of one thing as a son. I will be your greatest lieutenant ever. You just tell me where to stand and I will be there.' Everybody has leadership qualities in them. You as a leader decide in the larger scheme of things where you want to place yourself at that point of time.
While other stars invested n cricket, you chose Kabaddi. What made you take up the risk of investing n a sport that was perceived to be neither as fashionable nor as popular as cricket?
One, I have always wanted to do something with sport in India right from the time I was a student. I grew up in an environment (at the Aiglon College in Switzerland) surrounded by sport in a school that lay huge amount of emphasis on outdoor activity and sport. So for me, sports was a way of life and it had a huge hand in forming my personality and character. I always felt on one level that being an Indian, there are some sports we are so great at, but why are we great at just some sports? For India, sports is a matter of national pride. I will always remember a visual of Carl Lewis in the 1984 LA Olympics standing on top of that podium after winning the gold medal and he had tears in his eyes with the American flag in his hand and their anthem playing at the back. I remember going to the Asian Games in 1982 when I was a kid and seeing the Indian flag and the pride we felt at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium when an Indian won. I am a huge sports fan and have always played sport and continue to. It's a fantastic release for me and a great way to stay in shape, apart from it being almost therapeutic. I wanted to do something, but in a sport that you could do something with. The reason I never ever considered cricket first on a personal basis is that it was way too expensive, secondly, cricket has a fantastic infrastructure in India as we are a cricket-loving nation. What can I contribute to it, so I never even thought about it. To add to that, I have never even played cricket. Yes, I watch it as a spectator and I love it, but I don't have any great understanding of it. I was in a British school so for me, I was a football fan but I played only basketball, athletics and skiing. I once met the great sports commentator Charu Sharma, the mastermind behind the Pro Kabaddi League, in a social gathering and he asked me, 'Have you ever thought of Kabaddi?' And my reaction too like yours was, 'What Kabaddi?' He took me to a match in Mumbai and I was blown away. I had played Kabaddi casually as a kid and felt that it was dying to erupt on the sporting stage. Instinctively, I said yes to being a part of his league. And today, you come to Pro Kabaddi and you say, 'Oh my God! It's Kabaddi.' That's the victory for us.
Tell us how playing sport helped shape your character?
It teaches you everything, right from teamwork to leadership to dealing with success and failure to building a sportsman spirit. These are all things that we encounter on a daily basis. I was a basketball player in school. You are playing a match where you have a tough opponent, you are down 15 points, but you don't give up, you adapt, dig deep, find the way, find the strength and the capability to go win a match. There are so many situations in life where you come across situations like this. Leadership, I was the captain of my team, how do you lead a team? You lead from the front, lead from the back, how do you change from time to time? Team work, basketball is a game of five people, how do you work with and be a part of the team. There are so many things in life where you will find a parallel in sport.
Any memories of playing Kabaddi as a child?
I was a kid when I saw a film of dad called Ganga Ki Saugand in which there is a sequence where he plays Kabaddi and he says, 'Chal kabaddi chal kabaddi aal taal, mera gucha lal lal. Lal, lal, lal...' I remember I used to find that very cool and would copy that and that's when I first asked my dad, 'What's this game?' and he said, 'Kabaddi'. He drew lines in the garden on the ground and taught me how to play Kabaddi.
The presence of so many stars has made Kabaddi into a spectacle.
Before the start of Season 1, there were no sponsors. I remember talking to Ronnie Screwvala who owns the Mumbai team and he said, 'Mark my words. This is going to be India's biggest sport in times to come.' I said, 'Okay.' And we had the inaugural match. My family was there and very sweetly, Shah Rukh, Aamir, the entire cast of Happy New Year, Sachin Tendulkar were there. I idol worship Sachin and had requested him to come since I was starting something new. And he not just came, but even wore a pink t-shirt. The game started and we lost our first match. Everybody was a bit sombre but the next morning when I woke up, kabaddi had become the cool new sport overnight. A lot of people attributed it to all these huge stars that came be it dad, Aishwarya, mom, Shah Rukh, Aamir and Sachin. But let me tell you, yes glamour does make a sport a spectacle but the spectacle lasts only for 15 minutes. Being a sportsman, I can tell you that you can have the biggest star sitting there and it's okay to see them for a few seconds, but you want to get back to the score. At the end of the day, if the sport is not doing the talking, any amount of glamour will not make a difference. I was flooded with messages that morning that read, 'What is this Kabaddi man?'
Does your team get conscious seeing your superstar family?
They did in the first match. I asked them after we lost the first match of the first season, 'What went wrong?' and they said, 'Woh Amitji ko kabhi dekhe nahi the na? Aur phir unke bagal mein Sachin Tendulkar the, aur phir Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan aur phir upar bhabhi bhi aa gayee.' So they were a bit overwhelmed, but now they are used to it. I think with dad they will always get a bit gobsmacked, but with Aishwarya, she has become bhabhi now. After every match, I put her on a speaker phone with them and she talks to them. They really look forward to that post match ritual.
Why did you pick Jaipur as your city?
First, Mumbai was not available, but also I wanted to pick a city where I could make a difference to in terms of infrastructure. I also have an emotional connection with Jaipur as I shot my first film Refugee there so I felt kabaddi too was a new beginning for me and so chose Jaipur.
Has the life of the players changed after so much interest in the game?
I remember the first time they faced the press in Mumbai, I took my handycam and trained them taking their mock interviews as they had never faced the media before. Many of them had come for the first time to Mumbai that morning that they had free. They were excited to visit the Siddhivinayak Temple. Everyone went out except for this one boy who stayed back in his room. I asked him, 'What did you do? Why did you not go out?' He said, 'Dada main kamre mein tha.' I said, 'Kyun. Why didn't you go and roam around?' He said, 'Dada I have never ever sat on the 25th floor before.' He said, 'Look at this view. It's amazing.' His roommate later told me, that for an hour he played with the curtain in his room as it had a button that he could press to open and shut it. This is how simple they were. In the first press conference in Jaipur, the media only asked me questions. By the end of season 1, it was only them. I didn't answer even one question as they had all become stars.
Your mother Jaya Bachchan usually does not attend sporting events. What makes your parents come for it?
Recently when my dad sung the National Anthem, he did not wear the pink t-shirt as he said, at that point in time I am an Indian. But at all other times, they are both there as my parents and I am convinced that they are there only for me, to support their child.
Does your family support the game as they feel that they are contributing to India?
No, I don't think like that and we are not trying to be righteous about the whole thing. But yes, they are proud of it that it's an Indian sport and they believe in it.
Do you make money from the game now?
Last year no, this year yes. I am not a huge corporate. If I need to change their uniform or upgrade I need to sign a new film. I need to fund it entirely myself. So, for me it's do or die. And that's nice as it allows me to not be complacent about it. I know what it took for me to buy the team, I know what it takes for me to run the team and that's why I micromanage everything. I don't have a corporate structure to manage this right now but in the future I will have that too.
Just seeing the way you cheer and motivate your team and lead from the front, you seem to be a good leader.
Whether I am a good leader only time will tell but do I enjoy their responsibility, yes I welcome it. I have always been the kind of person that if I have to lead, I will lead from the front. I am going to be with the boys, be it football or kabaddi in their victory and their defeat. I want them to feel like a part of my family. I want them to feel that they can come and talk to me about everything including their love problems and they do. I want them to feel reassured that okay the boss is there and he has got a back so he will take care of us, that's what will give them the confidence. As a sportsman, when I was a junior player, I wanted my captain to be there for me. I am going to be angry with them and sulk with them but they know it's out of love. I am not going to disown them when things are not going to be well. If anything I am going to be there even for them that time and ask guys what can we do. Also a great leader is someone who knows when to take the backseat. A person with leadership qualities knows when to take the step back and just because you have not seen it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. In a very private moment with my father many years back when we had our first father-son chat, I told him, 'Pa I assure you of one thing as a son. I will be your greatest lieutenant ever. You just tell me where to stand and I will be there.' Everybody has leadership qualities in them. You as a leader decide in the larger scheme of things where you want to place yourself at that point of time.
I won’t do a film for the heck of it-Abhishek Bachchan
9:10 AM
Abhishek Bachchan on upcoming films, the possibility of working with wife Aishwarya again and his take on the trade
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; July 27, 2015)
Abhishek Bachchan is quick to describe his 15 years in
the film industry as a roller-coaster ride. His career has had its
highs and lows and unexpected surprises, too. Here, he talks about his
sporting pursuits, about career choices, the possibility of working with
his wife Aishwarya and more...
You own a kabaddi and a football team. Is there a bias towards a particular sport?
No, their schedules are completely different. We finish kabaddi in August and football starts in October. I’m equally passionate about both.
Do you think these leagues will help India prepare to be a top contender in the international arena as well?
Of course. How much did you know about kabaddi before the Pro Kabaddi League last year? Now you do. Whenever I travel abroad, the number of sportsmen that have spoken to me about the game is very heartening to hear. In case of football (starting the Indian Super League), part of the mission statement states that India, as a national squad, should be competing in the World Cup.
Do you think more films will be made on kabaddi as well?
What we don’t realise is that Indian cinema is not limited to Bollywood only. There were two films made last year which revolved around kabaddi and they weren’t just montage shots. They were actual films. Similarly, cricket and football are what Indians are crazy for. Hence, you see a lot of films being made on cricket and football. There was a Chak De India made on hockey. Soon, I am sure there will be mainstream films made with mainstream actors with kabaddi as the central theme.
Over the last few years, you have been part of ensemble casts. All is Well is a solo film after a long time. But it’s been delayed for some time now...
Well, we expect the best. Reality, usually, is completely different from what we hope. We have to make do with things. We have given it our best, it’s a very sweet film. It’s a film which is close to my heart because I love the message in it. When I heard the story, I knew I wanted to be a part of this film because that’s something I wanted to say at that point of time. It had its shares of hiccups. But these things happen so you just need to move on and try and put your best foot forward.
People have also started comparing it to Piku. Comment.
The only similarity between Piku and All is Well is that both the films are about a road trip. And that’s it. There’s no other similarity.
Aishwarya told us that the makers are planning to revisit Happy Anniversary. Have they approached you again?
No, they haven’t. At least not till now.
If they do, will you take it up?
Ash and I would love to work together. I always enjoy the space of making a film with her. But it has to be something both of us agree to, individually. As far as Ash’s requirements go, it ticks all the boxes. Similarly it needs to tick mine. I won’t disrespect her ever as an artiste. I won’t do a film for the heck of it. You have to look at such things individually. You can’t look at it collectively.
Did you watch the trailer of Jazbaa?
The one that they released in Cannes? I did. It was more of a show reel. It wasn’t really a promo. When you go to a festival like Cannes, you don’t take the promo. What you take instead is something you call the ‘sizzle reel’. It’s just glimpses of the film. So yes, that’s what I have seen. I loved Aishwarya in the film and I am sure people will love her too.
Given that there are many paradigm shifts in the industry today and you are a producer, what new thing would you like to try out?
Everybody’s up with their own stuff. What’s really nice is that, with the advent of multiplexes, it has become financially more viable to make a film, which is more niche in its appeal to the audiences intended for. I have produced Piku but I don’t know if 20-30 years ago, a film like that would have ever been made. People wouldn’t have made it because they wouldn’t be able to sell it as it might not appeal to as wide an audience to as say, a hardcore masala potboiler. It’s business at the end of the day. When you have those big single screens with 900-1000-seaters, a Piku is not going to be loved that much. But when a multiplex comes along, there are smaller screens which you can fill up and there’s an audience, it’s only possible to make such films. So the paradigm shift that has happened is not related to the subject matter. We have learnt how to exhibit our films now. So, the actual execution is happening at the distribution and execution. The creative field will always be that. People will be creative and they will do what they feel like doing. We talk about women centric films, they’ve always been made. We talk about family films, they’ve always been made. We talk about the big summer blockbusters. These films were always being made. We have cracked how to exhibit the films and reach the target audience.
Our films are doing extremely well in international markets too. Do you think the gap is being bridged now?
It’s a global market. Cinema’s becoming a global product now. I think it’s very encouraging that the films from the West are working here and our films are working there. Telugu cinema has been increasingly growing over the last 10 years. What Baahubali has done is astonishing and definitely worth it. And deservedly so. But what’s heartening to know is that our markets and our horizons are broadening. And they are also now looking at India as a very strong market. There have already been two-three films which have crossed Rs 100 crores here which is huge for them. So, it is becoming a global product and I think what will happen in the times to come is that we will start watching films which are going to have more of a global perspective and outlook.
You teamed up with Raghav and Nelly for a music video. Tell us something about it.
Raghav is a friend. I remember meeting him 10-11 years ago when he had first come to India. He’s been in touch ever since then. Last year, during Diwali, he came over to my house and said, ‘Look, I am working on this track. Would you like to be a part of it?’ He was keen and of course, I wanted to work with him. He then told me that Nelly was working on it as well. Nelly is one of my favourite hip-hop artistes, so it was a golden opportunity to collaborate with him. We recorded the track and it turned out really well.
Bluffmaster sequel on the cards?
Riteish (Deshmukh) and I have been hounding Rohan (Sippy) for the last 10 years. But Rohan’s not the kind of director who will just announce a film because it will go through the roof. We have to back it up with a script. I am not an actor who would make an announcement for sensationalism so we’ve been trying to crack something. I won’t lie but I would love to make a sequel to Bluffmaster. Or maybe a continuing segment from where we left. Rohan’s open to the idea and has not shut the door on it. But we have to develop the right script first.
Any old film you want to remake?
No, I would rather make films that people want to remake later.
You’ve always said you want to play Yuvraj Singh in a biopic. But if someone had to play you in a biopic, who other than you do you think will do justice to the role?
I don’t think anyone can pull it off. (Smiles) In all modesty, I say that. I don’t know but that’s a good question. I should think about that. There’s no one I can think of immediately.
Amitabh Bachchan to perform the National Anthem to kickstart the Pro Kabaddi League
10:06 AM
BOMBAY TIMES (July 18, 2015)
On July 18, superstar
Amitabh Bachchan will perform the National Anthem in front
of a live audience to kickstart Season 2 of Star Sports Pro
Kabaddi League. Every day, before the match, eminent personalities and
performers from a wide diaspora encompassing local musicians, school
children and bands from different corners of the country will perform
their own unique rendition of the National Anthem before the start of
each game.
This initiative will encourage the country to rise as a nation, sing along and build up to a high energy moment before the start of a match.The eight franchise cities that are part of the league include Mumbai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Patna, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune. The network has also made an impact with its commitment to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan across the franchise cities to involve in-stadia audiences, franchise clubs, Kabaddi players as well as viewers to participate in keeping their surroundings clean.
Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India, said, “We have a deep and abiding commitment to growing the sport of Kabaddi. The inaugural season introduced the sport in an aspirational and cool avatar. We are delighted to partner with Mr Amitabh Bachchan for the second season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi, to help galvanise the sport across the nation.“
Amitabh Bachchan said, “The early years of one's life are the moments deeply ingrained in us. Kabaddi formed an integral part of our daily sport. When I was asked for my participation, I readily agreed for one simple reason - nothing would give me more pride than to perform the National Anthem at the beginning of this new and exciting league that is taking India's sport to a whole new level.“
The Star Sports Pro Kabaddi starts tonight at 7.50 pm on Star Sports, Star Gold and Hotstar.
This initiative will encourage the country to rise as a nation, sing along and build up to a high energy moment before the start of a match.The eight franchise cities that are part of the league include Mumbai, Kolkata, Jaipur, Patna, Hyderabad, Delhi, Bengaluru and Pune. The network has also made an impact with its commitment to the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan across the franchise cities to involve in-stadia audiences, franchise clubs, Kabaddi players as well as viewers to participate in keeping their surroundings clean.
Uday Shankar, CEO, Star India, said, “We have a deep and abiding commitment to growing the sport of Kabaddi. The inaugural season introduced the sport in an aspirational and cool avatar. We are delighted to partner with Mr Amitabh Bachchan for the second season of Star Sports Pro Kabaddi, to help galvanise the sport across the nation.“
Amitabh Bachchan said, “The early years of one's life are the moments deeply ingrained in us. Kabaddi formed an integral part of our daily sport. When I was asked for my participation, I readily agreed for one simple reason - nothing would give me more pride than to perform the National Anthem at the beginning of this new and exciting league that is taking India's sport to a whole new level.“
The Star Sports Pro Kabaddi starts tonight at 7.50 pm on Star Sports, Star Gold and Hotstar.
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