Patna, June 8: The Bihar State Sports Authority announced the inaugural Bihar Women’s Kabaddi League 2024, scheduled to take place from June 10 to June 16 at the Patliputra Sports Complex in Kankarbagh, Patna. Raveendran Sankaran, Director General cum Chief Executive Officer of Bihar State Sports Authority, revealed this information during a press conference held at the Patliputra Sports Complex today.
Sankaran highlighted the immense popularity of Kabaddi across Bihar, particularly among both boys and girls. He noted the Bihar government’s sponsorship of Patna Pirates, a team in the recently concluded 10th Pro Kabaddi League, reflecting the state’s commitment to promoting the sport.
The Bihar Women’s Kabaddi League aims to tap into the talent pool of female players in Bihar and provide them with a platform to showcase their skills on a national level. Sankaran emphasized the collaborative efforts of various government bodies, sports associations, trainers, and district sports officers in making the league a reality.
Under the guidance of Kavita Selvaraj, a former gold medalist player and coach of the Indian women’s Kabaddi team, 96 players were selected from a pool of 480 based on their abilities and talents. These players underwent a rigorous 15-day training camp supervised by Kavita. The selected players were divided into six teams through a transparent lottery system, ensuring equal representation and the inclusion of female coaches or assistant coaches in each team.
The league will feature six matches daily, with each team playing two matches per day, totaling 34 matches. Matches will be held from 7 am to 10 am and 6 pm to 9 pm, with free entry for spectators. The teams have been sponsored by government corporations and private institutions, each representing a different district of Bihar.
To encourage and recognize the players, cash prizes will be awarded to the top-performing teams. The winning team will receive Rs. 1.5 lakh, the runner-up Rs. 1 lakh, and the third-place team Rs. 50,000.
The event has been organized on a grand scale, with live telecast provided by the organization ‘Yuva’ and arrangements made for trophies, medals, certificates, and cash prizes. Coaches, assistant coaches, and team captains of all participating teams were also present at the press conference alongside Sankaran.
