Pro Kabaddi League's eighth edition postponed due to coronavirus
The eighth season of Pro Kabaddi League has been postponed indefinitely due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. The popular franchise-based kabaddi tournament was scheduled to be held in its annual July-September window but the competition did not begin on time due to COVID-19. The government guidelines prevented any kind of sporting activity in the build-up to that period. Here's more.
'We will be back next year once it's safe'
Organizers said PKL will be back once it's safe to resume. "Under the current circumstances and keeping in mind the official guidelines and health and safety of players in the context of an indoor contact sport, we regret the postponement of Season 8 of PKL. We will be back next year once it's safe to resume," the statement on their official Twitter handle read.
Decision welcomed by Jaipur Pink Panthers' skipper Hooda
The decision to postpone the PKL was welcomed by Deepak Niwas Hooda, who is the captain of the Indian kabaddi team. He also leads Jaipur Pink Panthers in the PKL. "This decision by Pro Kabaddi to safeguard their players is highly appreciated. We hope our fans understand this situation and will keep supporting us always," he wrote on his Instagram handle.
Broadcast and sponsorship issues for PKL
The PKL was set to encounter problems in any case if they had decided to organize the tournament this year. The official five-year deal with Star Sports ended last year according to Sportstar, while their agreement with primary sponsor Vivo was also canceled due to the India-China standoff. Earlier, Dream11 had replaced Vivo as the title sponsor of the IPL 2020 season.
