Let’s talk about the history of Kabaddi and how it came to be the game that people in India love. You can make a kabaddi bet online at 1xBet and use this platform to win extraordinary rewards by wagering on this discipline and others.
Our journey starts way back. Kabaddi’s roots stretch back over 4,000 years in ancient India. The sport started as a fun pastime for farmers in rural areas. Imagine a bunch of men chasing and tagging each other in fields after a hard day’s work. While its origins are wrapped in legends, 1 theory is that it was played to improve physical strength and stamina. A 2nd option says that it was a method that some warriors used for training.
The 1st recorded mention of Kabaddi as a competitive sport was in the early 20th century. But it was in the 1936 Berlin Olympics that the discipline had its 1st taste of international limelight as a demonstration sport. That was the moment when the sport was presented to the world. An online kabaddi bet at 1xBet can be made in all competitions of this exciting discipline, too.
By 1950, the All India Kabaddi Federation was born, paving the way for the first Men’s National Kabaddi Championship in Madras (now Chennai) 1 year later. But the golden feather in Kabaddi’s cap was its inclusion in the Asian Games in 1990. The Indian national team has won gold medals in all its editions between 1990 and 2014. This meant that this nation claimed a staggering 7 gold medals consecutively
The Emergence of the Pro Kabaddi League
Fast forward to the 21st century, and we see another transformation, one that turned Kabaddi from a traditional sport to a contemporary sensation – the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL). You can now discover online kabaddi betting at the 1xBet platform, allowing you to make wagers on the PKL.
Inspired by the success of cricket’s IPL, in 2014, the PKL was launched. It was a total success. Some of the aspects that show how successful it was in India are:
● it gave kabaddi players the possibility to dedicate themselves to the sport in a professional manner;
● it was endorsed by private companies, the government, and even celebrities;
● also, its 1st season in 2014, had a staggering total viewership of 435 million people.
Currently, there is Kabaddi online betting at 1xBet, where all matches and outcomes from the PKL can be wagered too.
Suddenly, kabaddi players became household names. Some people who became Kabaddi stars are Anup Kumar and Rahul Chaudhari. Their performances impressed spectators. With franchisees, celebrity endorsements, and huge production values, the PKL made sure Kabaddi wasn’t just a game; it was an experience.
Let’s talk about numbers. The first season of PKL saw teams being bought for about $250,000 each. By the 5th season, the media rights were sold for $46 million. Player salaries shot up, too. In the inaugural season, the highest bid for a player was around $18,000. A few seasons later, some star players pocketed upwards of $150,000 for a single season.
Thanks to the PKL, Kabaddi’s international presence also increased. Countries that would previously scratch their heads about what Kabaddi even was now had teams participating in the World Cup. We’re talking nations like Argentina, Australia, and even the USA. The 2016 Kabaddi World Cup saw participation from 12 countries across 5 continents.
To conclude, modern Kabaddi’s journey has been nothing short of exhilarating. From rustic origins to international stages, this sport has seen growth that few others can boast of. The PKL has been a game-changer, catapulting Kabaddi into the modern era with style and flair. With its rising popularity, one thing’s certain: the chant of “Kabaddi, Kabaddi, Kabaddi” isn’t fading anytime soon. Also, it is fair to expect that the game will continue enjoying a great expansion outside of the Indian subcontinent.
