Old game, new spectacle: With the waning of the pandemic, sporting leagues for kho kho and handball are raring to kick off

With the waning of the pandemic and life returning to a semblance of the old normal, there is now hope for the upcoming kho kho and handball leagues as well as the revival of boxing and wrestling leagues

Synopsis

As the race to be associated with new sports leagues began, many thought cricket finally would have competition in India. Within a few years, Tendulkar and many others exited the clubs. But leagues like the ISL and the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) survived due to corporate backing in terms of league and franchise ownerships. Then Covid-19 came, sounding the death knell for smaller franchise-format leagues.

In 2014, a cricket hero walked into a football field — Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar took a minority stake in the football club Kerala Blasters, making heads turn. The Indian Super League (ISL), co-promoted by the Reliance Industries and Star India, was one of the many sporting leagues that cropped up after the huge success of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Tendulkar was not alone.

A number of sportspersons, celebrities from the

BY

ET Bureau

Apr 16, 2022, 10:15 PM IST

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