Pakistan to host Super Kabaddi League in April

KARACHI: The Super Kabaddi League (SKL), which Strawberry Sports Management is going to hold in Lahore from April 22 to May 6 at Lahore, is expected to carry players from at least six countries from across the world.

“The event is expected to carry players from at least six nations,” Strawberry Sports Management chief Haider Daud Khan told ‘The News’ on Monday. “There will be players from the Asia, Middle East, Central Asia, Africa and we are also negotiating with the players from the United States and Canada,” the official said.

He made it clear that there would be no Indian player in the event which is being held for the first time.He said that five franchises have already been finalised in the names of Lahore, Multan, Gujrat, Islamabad and Sialkot, adding effort would be made to take the number to eight before launching the competitions.

“We are trying to increase the numbers and complete details about the franchises and their actual names they would adopt would be disclosed later in the most appropriate way,” Haider said.He conceded that the players which will be included in the draft will be divided into three categories.

“We will try to ensure that each and every franchise should have a minimum of one foreign player in its ranks,” Haider said.Haider also plans to hold Classic Football League (CFL) in August in Karachi and the first professional volleyball league at the end of this year. He is quite confident that he would succeed in his mission.

“There is great following of these sports in Pakistan and we will be trying to take a more impressive start and then effort would be made to bring further improvement as the time progresses,” he said.

The SKL was scheduled to begin early last year but was delayed due to various reasons.The 15-day SKL which is expected to pull huge crowd will also be telecast live.“SKL will be a reintroduction of sorts of kabaddi and the masses in general. With SKL one can hope that kabaddi will be restored to its long lost glory–for it’s all about owning and celebrating our heritage,” the company said in a message.

“With international players participating and women exhibition matches taking place on the sidelines, SKL is beginning to shape as a path defining global sport spectacle that promises national pride to us all. It is up to the audience, corporate sector and government to play their respective roles in making this long term event start on a memorable note,” it said.