Picture Credit: Twitter
The wait for the Pro Kabaddi League is almost over. The tournament which had to be called off last year due to the Coronavirus pandemic is all set to return this year with a few changes. For beginners, the competition had to do away with its caravan format and will be staged at a single venue in Bengaluru where all the matches will be played.
Moreover, there are strict COVID-19 protocols too in place and the gym, during training on the mat, in the rooms and while eating are the only four places where players and officials are allowed to remove their masks amid concerns over the Omicron variant.
A day prior to the start of the competition at a press conference where captains of the teams set to participate in the tournament were seated, Dabang Delhi KC captain Joginder Narwal refused to reveal his plans before the start of the Kabaddi season.
Have more experienced players in the team this time, will show the plans on the mat: Joginder Narwal
He said that he would only show what the plan was once the season starts and that too on the mat itself. He acknowledged that the balance of the side has changed a lot and while there were youngsters in the team in the last edition of the tournament, this time around their squad is formed around experienced campaigners - the likes of Manjeet Chillar and Sandeep Narwal. However, he did not dive deep into the specifics but stated that the last time around the final was a great contest and hoped to have a great season ahead.
Watch the video here:
Dabang Delhi will play their first match of the season against Puneri Paltan on December 23. Meanwhile, the season starts on December 22 with three blockbuster matches lined up on the day. Bengaluru Bulls vs U Mumba will be the curtain-raiser of the eighth edition of the tournament which will be followed by the contest between Telugu Titans and Tamil Thalaivas. The last match of the opening day is between Bengal Warriors and UP Yoddha.