Of the two traditional Indian tag sports, Kabaddi already had a league format, which arrived in 2014. Now comes Kho Kho.
Cricket, Football, Hockey and many other sports, which have well set Indian league formats, have a new kid on the block - Kho Kho, an indigenous game that many have played in their schools.
India's first Kho Kho league called Ultimate Kho Kho, which will kickstart in the second half of 2021, is all set for takeoff, with player management, franchises and a broadcast partner coming on board.
On the franchise front, the league has evinced interest from leading sponsors such as the owners of Indian Premier League (IPL), Bollywood celebrities and other notables from the field of entertainment.
When it comes to a broadcast partner, the league has joined hands with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI), which already airs a lot of non-cricket sports properties like WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), the Australian Open (tennis tournament), UEFA Champions League (football competition) and other global fare.
Ultimate Kho Kho will soon be available on Sony's sports channels in English and Hindi. The broadcaster is also looking to add regional language commentary. Along with TV, Sony's over the top (OTT) platform Sony LIV, will also stream the new league.
SPNI's deal with Ultimate Kho Kho is for five years. However, Sony did not reveal the amount at which the broadcaster has got the TV and digital rights for the new league.
So, will Sony's bet on Kho Kho pay off?
Amit Burman, Promoter, Ultimate Kho Kho thinks it will.
"We could not have zeroed in on a better sport than Kho Kho for it being an indigenous sport that has been around for decades. It has potential of being converted into a TV sports, banking on the speed, action and the thrills it displays," Burman told Moneycontrol in an email response.
Burman, chairman of Indian consumer goods firm Dabur, who has invested Rs 200 crore in the project for a period of five years, wants to get Kho-Kho back on the sports map of India.
"A sizable investment will be done to develop the sport and the content (Ultimate Kho Kho) for television so that the game becomes TV friendly," he added.
Kho Kho now fit for TV
For the sport to become TV friendly, a lot will depend on its production.
Tenzing Niyogi, Chief Executive Officer, Ultimate Kho Kho, explained in detail how they are preparing to bring in the sport on TV.
"In my mind, Kho Kho is by far, the fastest sport India has seen,” he states. This is probably why they got pitches from three production agencies that demonstrated how the game will look on TV.
Delving deeper, Niyogi explained, "We had conducted a high performance one-month camp in January this year with 138 top Kho Kho athletes. At the end of the camp, we hired the Indira Gandhi gymnasium hall where a match- like scenario was created with lights and cameras fitted in. Each production agency was given two days to showcase the live action game in a production control room (PCR), with commentary, camera angle, action and cuts."
"The pitches (by the production agencies) included how the players entered the arena or the field of play, how the game begins, what the referee does, what is the time after every tap and how do we commercialize that on TV. We saw things in super slow modes with buggy cams and spider cams. This was shown live to us while the match was happening outside in the gymnasium hall. Plus, we did not see the matches on the big screen but on a TV screen. Hence, now we are aware how Ultimate Kho Kho will look on TV," he added.
Kho Kho catches franchise owners’ fancy
Along with being TV-ready, the new league has also evoked strong interest among potential team owners wishing to become part of Ultimate Kho Kho.
"We are looking at six teams in Season One. Out of the six, we were already in talks with four franchise owners before COVID. Of the four, there are two existing IPL owners who have come on board. For the remaining two, one is a Bollywood celebrity and the other is a Punjabi singer. We are also in talks with big entities, who will be first-time sports investors, although they have been associated with sports for a long time," confided Niyogi.
Venue woes
While on the franchise front, things are panning out well, venues could be slightly ticklish.
Niyogi said that they are looking at one or two venues for the first two years, which will help limit the cost for the team owners, creating a healthy business opportunity for franchises.
"After two years, we will look at Caravan Style," he added. As for the first season, while they were looking at South and the West, Niyogi said that things might change because all depends on the feasibility of stadiums and the current COVID-19 situation.
Impacted by COVID but still betting big on Kho Kho
Last year, COVID-19 played spoilt sport for the new league, which was supposed to be launched in 2020. This year, too, with the number of coronavirus cases rising, the league may be played behind closed doors.
Despite the impact of the pandemic, Niyogi is confident about the league because of three factors. "Kho Kho is a mitti ka khel (sport of the soil) and it is entrenched across India and the whole of Bharat. The hinterland is in sync with the sport. Plus, the infrastructure required is low. Also, it is a state school compulsory sport and was also included in Khelo India, which has given a major boost to the sport," he said. The time to make sports atmanirbhar is clearly here.