The inaugural kho kho league, Ultimate Kho Kho, kicks off in Pune on Sunday.
A total of 143 best kho kho players from the country have been selected by six franchises — Mumbai Khiladis, Chennai Quick Guns, Gujarat Giants, Odisha Juggernauts, Rajasthan Warriors and Telugu Yoddhas — for Season 1.
Bengal boy Avik Singha has been picked up by the Mumbai franchise and the 21-year-old cannot hold his excitement at the prospect of the exposure he is set to get.
“To be picked up by the Mumbai franchise is a great opportunity for me and I intend to make the most of it,” Avik told The Telegraph from his training base in Pune.
“To be exposed to so many senior players from across the country and so many experienced coaches will help take my game ahead a long way,” he said.
Two hundred and forty registered players from across the country were part of the draft process. They were divided into four categories — A, B, C and D — according to their recent performances in international and national tournaments and evaluation conducted by the league.
Avik, who hails from Bhadreshwar in Hoogly where his father works as a mason and his mother is a home-maker, was initially a sprinter and even ran in inter-district meets.
“My sister used to play kho kho and I started watching her play,” said Avik.
“Gradually my interest grew. Somehow, the team game started to appeal to me more than an individual sprint.
“I started playing kho kho and progressed first to the district level and then was picked to play for Bengal where my performance at several national-level meets caught the eye of talent spotters for the league.”
According to Madhukar Shree, CEO, Mumbai Khiladis, the main objective of the franchise is to develop the sport “with the right professional set up and a dash of glamour which will encourage urban youth as well as those from the rural areas to make a career out of the sport.”
What disturbs Avik is people’s ignorance about kho kho, one of the oldest traditional sports of India. “Many in my hometown ask me what this game is all about. For now, I ask them to watch it on YouTube. But my long-term goal is to help popularise the game.
“I sincerely hope the league (which will be telecast live on the Sony Network) will attract more people to it,” he said.