NEW DELHI, MELBOURNE, 18 September, 2024: There is exciting news for ‘Kabaddi’ fans in Australia. In an Australia first, the Jacinta Allan Labor government will help bring India’s Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) showcase to Melbourne.
Premier Jacinta Allan joined Head of Sports, Disney Star, Sanjog Gupta and League Commissioner of PKL Anupam Goswami in India to announce they will work together to bring an event to Melbourne in the next 18 months.
Premier Jacinta Allan said, “As the sporting capital of Australia, we’re proud to be partnering with the Pro Kabaddi League to explore bringing a PKL Showcase in Melbourne, with the sport attracting one of the fastest growing fan bases around the globe.”
Kabaddi – the second most actively followed sport in India behind cricket – is a fast-paced, high-intensity contact sport, featuring two teams of seven battling for points by ‘raiding’ the opponent’s side of the field. The challenge lies in tagging as many defenders as possible within a 30-second raid. Played over 40 minutes, Kabaddi demands agility, strategy, and teamwork, making it one of the most thrilling sports to watch.
The PKL launched in India in 2014 and has become one of the biggest sports in the country – with nearly 300 million viewers in India alone. Now in its 11th season, PKL continues to break new ground and is one of India’s premier homegrown sports leagues.
With Victoria being home to the largest Indian population in Australia, this news is going to be welcomed by local and international Kabaddi fans.
Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said, “Working with the PKL is part of the state’s commitment to celebrate and support multicultural communities, and another demonstration of how our government is fostering and supporting diversity.”
India is the state’s third biggest overseas market for visitor expenditure and, in the year ending March 2024, Victoria welcomed almost 180,000 Indian visitors, generating $452 million for the state.
The Victoria Government is continuing to build on the state’s jam packed major events calendar including the Melbourne Cup Carnival, Yayoi Kusama exhibition at the NGV, Boxing Day Test featuring Australia v India, Beetlejuice The Musical, British & Irish Lions at the MCG, the 2025 Australian Open and Formula 1 Grand Prix.
The inclusion of an PKL All Stars Showcase will not only enhance Victoria’s reputation as a global sports destination but also foster deeper cultural connections.
Visit Victoria CEO Brendan McClements said, “We’re focused on building an increasingly stronger relationship with the Indian visitor economy sector and we’re thrilled to be working with the PKL to showcase how our State is ‘Every bit different’ to this critical market.”
