PKL season 8 to start on December 22

Season eight of Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) will begin on December 22 in Bengaluru and will be held sans spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Player Auctions for the season were conducted on August 29-31 in Mumbai.                

Keeping the health and safety of the players and all stakeholders in mind, this year the league will be held without spectators at a single venue in Bengaluru, moving away from the traditional caravan format, the event’s organisers stated.

Speaking on the return of PKL Season 8, Anupam Goswami, CEO, Mashal Sports and League Commissioner VIVO PL said: "Bengaluru has all the facilities for the conduct of big competitive sports events with best safety practices, and we look forward to demonstrating this with PKL Season 8."

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai welcomed the league to the state.

"Kabaddi is a genuine indigenous sport of India and very popular in Karnataka.  We welcome and support the conduct of forthcoming Pro Kabaddi Season 8 in our state," Bommai said in a statement. 

The orgainisers further stated that the league will implement protocols to comply with government regulations and guidelines and will work with specialised safety agencies to implement stringent safety practices and create a bio-secure bubble.