Cricket is the biggest and most popular sport in India. That, everyone, knows. But what is second on the list?
There are a few sports that are up there. Badminton, hockey, wrestling and boxing all have a rich history in the Indian landscape. When athletes like Abhinav Bindra (shooting) and Neeraj Chopra (javelin) brought home the elusive Olympic gold, a whole generation of youngsters embraced new heroes.
But there is one sport that is truly Indian, has been enjoyed for generations, and is unlike any other. It is also taking giant strides towards becoming the second most popular in India - kabaddi.
The seven-a-side contact sport involves a single ‘raider’ invading the opposition’s half and trying to tag one or more opponents before scurrying back into his territory without getting tagged himself - all while saying "kabaddi kabaddi". It is as fascinating to watch as it sounds.
India was already a powerhouse in the sport at regional level, winning the Kabaddi World Cup three times and clinching gold in seven out of eight Asian Games. Then in 2014, it all changed; kabaddi became glamorous.
Broadcasters Star Sports, league organisers Mashal Sports and some of the top business houses in the country came together to form one of the most successful franchise leagues in the country - Pro Kabaddi League.
The recently concluded ninth season of PKL was viewed by more than 200 million fans. The first 114 out of 132 league matches had a cumulative viewership of 202m, which was already much higher than the entire reach of the previous season that stood at 189m.
Considering the PKL was held right alongside the Fifa World Cup in Qatar and the final on the eve of the title match between France and Argentina in Qatar, the numbers are mighty impressive.
The PKL has now 12 franchises in its fold. The team owners are some of the most prominent names in the country. Adani Sportsline (Gujarat Giants team), IPL veteran owners GMR Group (UP Yoddhas) and JSW Group (Haryana Steelers), Indian movie stars Abhishek Bachchan (Jaipur Pink Panthers) and Allu Arjun (Tamil Thalaivas) are some of the heavyweights who have brought tremendous value to the league over the years.
In 2021, the broadcast rights for the league for the next five years were sold to Star India again for nine billion rupees ($109m). This is a huge number for a non-cricket product in India.
"What has worked for kabaddi is that it is a contact sport. But it is the only genuinely team contact sport," Anupam Goswami, head sports leagues Mashal Sports and league commissioner vivo Pro Kabaddi League, told The National.
"There are other sports which are similar, like rugby. But while there is physicality (in rugby), the premise of the sport is not contact. You are trying to put something (rugby ball) across the goal line. Kabaddi is a contact sport that is suited for a sports league across the world."
The intrinsic value of team sports in a franchise model becomes clear when you see individual disciplines like badminton and tennis that have tried the franchise formula through team formats without much success.
Goswami believes the numbers brought in by the 2022 season and the new media rights make the league not only the second-biggest in India but one of the most prominent ones in Asia.
"The mark of 200 million viewers is a very strong number across entertainment for media consumption across Asia. In India it is clearly the second most viewed league. Apart from IPL, we are far ahead of all sports and leagues in India," he explained.
What seems to have worked in kabaddi and PKL's favour is that the sport has been played in some form or the other by many Indians in their early years across regions.
"What also worked for kabaddi is that it appealed to a core sentiment among Indians. It is something many of them played. Anyone who is 55-plus would have strong memories of having played it. Those younger would have some idea about it.
"If you gave the sport a big makeover, there was almost a guaranteed success."
Apart from IPL, we are far ahead of all sports and leagues in India
Anupam Goswami
Kabaddi became a medal discipline in Asian Games in 1990. Its growth was powered by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India. The idea of PKL came about around 2012 but by that time, the AKFI and the International Kabaddi Federation had already established it well at the Asian Games. Which meant there were 8-10 countries playing it consistently. And which is why the PKL has players from countries like Iran, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Kenya and Bangladesh.
"We have to give credit to AKFI and IKF for not only internationalising it but also creating set of practices which allowed other countries to gain strength in it," Goswami said.
"Iran are the current Asian champions. That is not by accident. They took a decade to come up to that level. They gave a very strong challenge to India in the 2014 Asian Games. South Korea also have a very strong team. If kabaddi has aspirations to go to the Olympics, it has to show that other countries are also competing well."
The next step in kabaddi's journey is obvious - explore the international market.
They did that in 2018, through the Dubai Kabaddi Masters. That tournament was an international competition organised by the IKF, Dubai Sports Council and Star India. Then, the world came to halt due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Even PKL was suspended for a season in 2020.
Now, there is renewed hope of taking kabaddi and PKL to new markets, even if in the form of exhibition games.
"Many PKL teams would be very interested in playing demonstration matches in the neighbourhood, particularly where the TV prime time is the same. Many teams would like the idea of having such games in Dubai.
"In Dubai, we had a great experience in 2018 under the patronage of the Minister of Tolerance Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak. He was very encouraging and we are very grateful for the support we got from Dubai Sports Council. If not the league, we would always look to bring competitive games to Dubai."
THE SPECS
Engine: 3-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 424hp
Torque: 580 Nm
Price: From Dh399,000
On sale: Now
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Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
The specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: nine-speed
Power: 542bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh848,000
On sale: now
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
What went into the film
25 visual effects (VFX) studios
2,150 VFX shots in a film with 2,500 shots
1,000 VFX artists
3,000 technicians
10 Concept artists, 25 3D designers
New sound technology, named 4D SRL
The biog
Hometown: Cairo
Age: 37
Favourite TV series: The Handmaid’s Tale, Black Mirror
Favourite anime series: Death Note, One Piece and Hellsing
Favourite book: Designing Brand Identity, Fifth Edition
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Q&A with Dash Berlin
Welcome back. What was it like to return to RAK and to play for fans out here again?
It’s an amazing feeling to be back in the passionate UAE again. Seeing the fans having a great time that is what it’s all about.
You're currently touring the globe as part of your Legends of the Feels Tour. How important is it to you to include the Middle East in the schedule?
The tour is doing really well and is extensive and intensive at the same time travelling all over the globe. My Middle Eastern fans are very dear to me, it’s good to be back.
You mix tracks that people know and love, but you also have a visually impressive set too (graphics etc). Is that the secret recipe to Dash Berlin's live gigs?
People enjoying the combination of the music and visuals are the key factor in the success of the Legends Of The Feel tour 2018.
Have you had some time to explore Ras al Khaimah too? If so, what have you been up to?
Coming fresh out of Las Vegas where I continue my 7th annual year DJ residency at Marquee, I decided it was a perfect moment to catch some sun rays and enjoy the warm hospitality of Bab Al Bahr.
