India has managed to resurrect some of its indigenous sports and created them into nationwide leagues that attract millions of viewers and fans every year, with the Pro Kabaddi League being the best example. With the new Ultimate Kho Kho league also debuting this year, can the new league hope to recreate the success of the Pro Kabaddi League?
Both the sports have a lot in common – both having journeyed from “mud to mat” in this new format of sports leagues. And the same comparison was made by Tenzin Niyogi, the CEO and League Commissioner of the Ultimate Kho Kho. “It’s great to see kabaddi and Kho-Kho coming together. Both the sports have made the journey from ‘mud to mat’ and it’s very heartening to see the players getting used to the stardom,” he commented.
In fact, the Pro Kabaddi team UP Yoddhas is owned by GMR Sports, which is also the owner of the Ultimate Kho Kho’s Telugu Yoddhas. The UP Yoddhas have shown both excitement and motivation for their Kho Kho brothers and supported their journey to the mat.
While Pro Kabaddi has already gained much popularity and love amongst Indian audiences, the Ultimate Kho Kho league has just seen its maiden performance and is yet to gain the same popularity. However, if we are to go with the example set by the Pro Kabaddi League, Kho Kho players could also begin to dominate the Indian sports scene pretty soon.
The Ultimate Kho Kho league has featured six teams in total in its inaugural season, with the new league format changing the way the game is played and modernizing it for the audiences. The league began on 14th of August and will conclude on the 4th of September 2022. But how successful was the sport during its first league?
The Ultimate Kho Kho is a sport that has huge potential, especially due to the interest that audiences in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India have in the sport. Moreover, because of its indigenous roots, Kho Kho is an easily marketable sport, one which brings audiences back to their own roots.
There are also plenty of other factors that could aid in the growth of the Ultimate Kho Kho, factors which also helped its predecessor, the Pro Kabaddi League. One of these factors is the growing digital media consumption in India. With more and more people relying on smartphones to consume digital content, sports viewership is also higher than ever before. This has given the chance to smaller sports and leagues such as the Ultimate Kho Kho to reach out to audiences they did not have access to before.
Another factor is India’s growing interest in online gaming, fantasy sports, and online betting. Hundreds of thousands of Indians want to bet on various sports, and waiting for only one IPL season is no longer enough. Players are diversifying and showing more interest in betting on other leagues such as the Pro Kabaddi League, using specific kabaddi betting sites in India. In fact, some betting brands have already started featuring the Ultimate Kho Kho in their sportsbooks to make it possible for Indians to enjoy betting on the sport while watching it.
These few additional factors can also contribute to the undoubtedly solid growth that the Ultimate Kho Kho league might see in the near future. And if we go by the love and adoration that the Pro Kabaddi League got in India, then the Ultimate Kho Kho league should do just fine!