PKL 2021 to start on 22nd December in Bengaluru

More than a month after the auctions, the organizers of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), Mashal Sports, announced that the eighth season of the league will be from 22nd December 2021. The entire season will be held in the city of Bengaluru as a precautionary move against covid-19.

The Player Auctions for the season were conducted on August 29-31 in Mumbai. Mashal Sports, organizers of the event, said that keeping the health and safety of the players and all stakeholders in mind, this year the league will be held without spectators at a single venue in Bengaluru, moving away from the traditional caravan format.

"We are very privileged that Season 8 of the VIVO Pro Kabaddi League will be hosted in Karnataka, especially as this state is a very significant geography for kabaddi and PKL fans in India. Bengaluru has all the facilities for the conduct of big competitive sports events with best safety practices, and we look forward to demonstrating this with PKL Season 8," ESPN quoted the CEO of Mashal Sports, Anumpan Goswami as saying.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai welcomed the league to the state. "Kabaddi is a genuine indigenous sport of India and very popular in Karnataka. We welcome and support the conduct of forthcoming Pro Kabaddi Season 8 in our state," Bommai said in a statement.

According to PTI, the organizers further stated that the league will implement protocols to comply with government regulations and guidelines and will work with specialized safety agencies to implement stringent safety practices and create a bio-secure bubble.

The Bridge had in the last week reported that the PKL will be held in December.

"PKL will mostly take place in December. The official dates will be out soon," the General Secretary of Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) had said then said to The Bridge.