The Wrestling Federation of India in association of Zee Entertainment Enterprises has announced an eight-team kushti league – Zee Kushti Dangal.
The inaugural edition of the Zee Kushti League, scheduled to start on November 3, will feature eight teams – each featuring seven athletes, including a female wrestler. A total of 86 wrestlers across seven weight categories shall form the 11-member squads and contest 151 bouts to decide the champions.
The announcement was made in the Capital today (Monday) in presence of icon players Vinesh Phogat, Divya Kakran and Sandeep Tomar along with Zee Kushti Dangal brand ambassador Ravi Kishan, actor and Member of Parliament.
Zee Kushti Dangal, to be held in Banaras and Jaipur, will feature players from Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh, states a Press release.
“As a group, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited since its very inception has been at the forefront of creating novel platforms that discover and promote talent across various arts, disciplines and sporting activities. A platform like the Zee Kushti Dangal is the perfect springboard that young and upcoming wrestlers across the country need in order to make a giant leap in their career,” said Mukund Cairae, COO, International Business and ZEEL – Head of Sports Business. “High on a regional appeal, we are highly optimistic that through our extensive domestic broadcast network we shall bring the sport to millions of households across the country. We are proud to have made a telling contribution towards elevating wrestling to greater heights.”
Wrestling Federation of India president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh has hailed the initiative as step that “will help identifying new talent in the world of Kushti.
“We firmly believe that the association with ZEEL will take the sport to newer spaces and audiences, while enabling us to engage with our patrons in various exciting ways. We are hopeful that the platform will provide fans with a nail-biting action and entertainment.”
The league, according to the organisers, will also have other entertainment quotient with a host of celebrities.
