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The best kabaddi talent from across the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is set to come together on one platform with the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League. The inaugural season of the UPKL is set to be organised in collaboration with UP Kabaddi Association. The tournament featuring eight talented teams will be organised from July 11 to July 25. All matches of the tournament will be held at the Noida Indoor Stadium. The players auction for the first ever UPKL will be held on June 10.
While the schedule of the UPKL hasn’t been announced yet, a total of 59 matches will be played throughout the first season in a span of 15 days. Speaking of the player’s auction, the format of the auction will be based on that of the Indian Premier League and Pro Kabaddi League. Each team will be given a purse of INR 12 lakh, with each team having three senior India players belonging to UP.
The teams participating in the league are Yamuna Warriors, Noida Ninjas, Kashi Kings, Awadh Ramdoot, Brij Stars, Sangam Challengers, Ayodhya Warriors and Ganga Kings of Mirzapur. Each squad will have 15 players with a total of 120 participants from across UP and other regions of the Indian subcontinent.
The UPKL has partnered with Sony Sports Network as their national broadcast partner, which means that fans would be able to catch live action of the tournament from their home. In the mega auction, a total of 350-400 players will go under the hammer. The organisers have also planned UPKL Trophy Tour 2024, under which the trophy will be displayed in more than 20 major cities of Uttar Pradesh including Lucknow, Ayodhya, Varanasi, Mirzapur, Prayagraj, Jhansi, Agra, Mathura and Noida.
