Why is Pro-Kabaddi the 2nd Most loved Sport in India
In a cricket-crazy nation like India, it is difficult for other sports to generate as much as or to be realistic, half the amount of curiosity among audience as this game gets. However, there is always room to strengthen or improve their fan base. Pro-Kabaddi is doing just that.
Since the inception of the Pro-Kabaddi League in 2014, it has grown in stature every day. Our streets are a good testimony to the popularity of Pro-Kabaddi, where you can see children as young as 10 removing their slippers and making the mid-lines and start playing Kabaddi.
What do they do when they are less in number and can’t make two teams? One of the kids takes up the role of the raider, while the rest take up defending.
It is somewhat an alternative for children who only knew how to convert something into a stump, buy a plastic ball, and use a plank of wood as a makeshift bat to play cricket.
When Pro-Kabaddi started, nobody was sure how it will fare. However, it had a few things going in favour of the game. The game, which is played for 40 minutes, offers a non-stop exhibition of agility, power, risk-taking, clever approach and entertainment for the viewers.
What works in favour of Pro-Kabaddi
1) Its shorter game time keeps everyone glued to the television. 20 minutes of play from either half makes it a treat for the viewers.
2) Its rule of do-or-die raid, where you have to get a touch point or a bonus point (by going deep into the oppositions den) or be declared out, gives a different dimension to the game altogether, since no other sports has this type of perform or perish type of rule.
3) Super tackle is another rule that evens out the balance of the game where you get two points for tackling a person, when there are only three or less players on the Mat.
4) Constantly bringing changes which brings excitement to the game such as Super 10 (if a raider gets 10 points in the match) and High 5s (when a defender gets 5 points through tackling the raiders).
5) The way the game is broadcasted by Star is exuberating to the eyes!
6) Few other USPs of the game such as making a quick empty raid to get a do-or-die raid from opposition is something not many other sports have with them on offer.
Lot of sports get good viewership at the initial stage but later the viewers' interest starts to wane. Pro-Kabaddi has maintained or rather increased its popularity by evolving season-by-season. Every season it brings something new for the game, which enhances its reputation and energy levels.
Pro-Kabaddi is also further proof of that the success of a sport depends on its entertainment factor, fearless approach, crisp rules and more importantly, the time-span of the game. Lesser the time span, the more viewers it could attract -- just like T-20 Cricket.