Bengaluru Bulls plans kabaddi academy in city; to finalise infrastructure within 45 days

THE PRO KABBADI LEAGUE team, Bengaluru Bulls owner, Uday Sihn Wala, today said he plans to set up a kabaddi academy in the city and is already in talks with Karnataka government. 

"We are planning to set up an academy in the central part of Bengaluru. We have seen two or three locations. We are discussing with the state government," Wala told PTI. 

Wala said his team has alternative options if the talks with the government fail to materialise. Wala said the franchisee wants to go for the existing facility to host the academy, instead of constructing a new one. 

"We want to go for an existing facility, preferably. Instead of facing bureaucratic challenges like locating land, raising money and getting permissions. It is better that we cut short the long process. We want to build the academy this year," he said. 

Wala said in the next 45 days, a space will be finalised for the establishment of the academy, which will work towards developing and popularising kabaddi in the state. 

"In the next 35 to 45 days, we should have a space locked up. Once we have a space locked up, both Arjuna awardee Ramesh sir and Suresh sir will work with the directors. We will put perhaps six qualified coaches. We are trying to pick coaches who play," he said. 

One of the key activities of the academy will be to include kabaddi in school curriculum by making it a fun sport, Wala said. 

"One of the key activities of the academy will be to approach schools to include kabaddi in its curriculum, and to build passion among children, we will introduce the fun element -- may be the touch-kabaddi format," he said. 

"Yet another intention of setting up the academy is to provide right dietary support and physio inputs. We believe that quality of players emerging will be much higher than what it is today. This will help draw talent into the main kabaddi team -- that is Bengaluru Bulls," he said. 

Another intention of establishing the academy is to build a second team for drafting talented and match-experienced players into Bengaluru Bulls, Wala said. 

"We want to build the second team which will play tournaments outside the league - playing matches will give them match experience on regular basis. It would be a bad idea to induct talented players without match experience. The academy will cater to this need," he said.