Mumbai: MWCL Sports LLP and Maharashtra State Wrestling Association along with Colors Marathi, together announced the launch of Kusti Champions League – Apla Banda, Khel Zinda.
Kusti Champions Leagues (KCL) will serve as a mega platform for the sport by inspiring and creating opportunities for local Maharashtrian players in the field. The League is sure to garner attention and create awareness on professional Kusti thus appealing to viewers and audiences like other sporting events.
The live telecast of Kusti Champions League will be aired exclusively on Colors Marathi and VOOT. The League will premiere on October 7, 2018 and conclude its inaugural season with a grand finale on October 28, 2018.
“To uplift the sport further with an international approach towards mat wrestling, Kusti Champions League collectively aims to bring contenders From 6 regions of Maharashtra on one platform and establish them as strong contenders for Olympic 2020,” said Pushkaraj Kelkar, Founder of Kusti Champions League. “We want to take wrestling to every nook and corner of Maharashtra, give it the deserved fame and subsequently, create an international platform for the sport,” he added.
“Wrestling has been one historical sport that has always contributed to India’s sporting prowess, and we are proud to be associated at the state level to take it into the next phase of upliftment and are keenly looking at least 5 medals From state at the 2020 Olympics. Kusti Champion League is committed to bringing out the best From the state’s best ….” Said Pradeep Iyengar, COO of Kusti Champions League.
Speaking on the launch of Kusti Champions League, Ravish Kumar, Head – Regional Entertainment, Viacom18, said, “Kusti or wrestling as it is popularly known today, happens to be one of India’s oldest sports and is a sport which requires skill, strength, strategy and determination. Even today, Kusti continues to be played with great zest and passion and is a popular source of entertainment for people in towns and villages. While Indian wrestlers have been doing us proud in international arenas, we believe it is about time that Kusti gets its due recognition and popularity. With this endeavour in mind we have collaborated with the Kusti Champions League to air these matches on COLORS Marathi, thereby bringing the excitement of kusti into millions of homes across Maharashtra. Moreover COLORS Marathi, with its strong equity, deep cultural roots and history of innovative programming, is the perfect platform for this sport to find the audience it truly deserves.”
KCL will be played by 6 teams consisting of 72 players in total. KCL has selected over 300 players From across Maharashtra for an auction process for the 6 teams. Each team will consist of 8 men and 4 women who are professionally trained in Kusti. The cities participating in KCL are Mumbai, Pune, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nagpur and Kolhapur.
The league is structured with 6 weight categories – 4 categories for men and 2 for women. A total of 90 matches across 21 days will be played on mat and soil at Balevadi Stadium, Pune in Maharashtra. The official Radio Partner for Kusti Champion League Season 1 is Radio City.
