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Popular singer and rapper Badshah has ventured into the sports business. The musician has partnered with businessman Punit Balan to acquire the Mumbai franchise in Ultimate Kho Kho (UKK). The Mumbai-based team completes the line-up for the inaugural edition of Ultimate Kho Kho which will kick off later this year.
The UKK has now six franchises. Other franchise owners include the Adani Group, GMR, Odisha government, Capri Global and KLO Sports.
After becoming the co-owner of the Mumbai franchise, Badshah shared his excitement and claimed that the league has big potential.
“I was fortunate enough to find the right partners, not just in terms of business, but also in terms of just amazing people, to go to work. Punit Balan and the team have been great in the sports business. And I think the opportunity was perfect”, Badshah was quoted as saying.
“There has been a lot of growth in sports other than the mainstream ones. A few years ago, a sport like Kabaddi was not counted amongst the mainstream ones, but now it has become a part of the mainstream sports cluster,” he said. “I think that’s what is going to be with Kho-Kho. So, I think the timing is right.”
UKK CEO, Tenzing Niyogi, welcomed Badshah and Punit as co-owners of the sixth franchise.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Badshah and Punit as co-owners of the sixth franchise. We already have on-boarded big corporates as well as the government of Odisha, and now these two popular names from the entertainment sector reflect the positioning and calibre of the league,” said Niyogi.