Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League named Best Rural Brand of the Year

The inaugural season of the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League was held last year.

The Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League (UPKL) has been honored with the Best Rural Brand of the Year award at the 4th edition of the Chalo Rural Conclave and Awards, recognizing the success of its inaugural season.

The inaugural season of UPKL was held in July 2024 at the Noida Indoor Stadium. Eight teams competed fiercely for the championship title, including the Yamuna Warriors, Noida Ninjas, Kashi Kings, Awadh Ramdoot, Brij Stars, Sangam Challengers, Ganga Kings of Mirzapur, and the Lucknow Lions, who emerged as the winners of Season 1.

Speaking at the event, UPKL organizer Mr. Sambhav Jain expressed his gratitude, saying, “We are truly honored to be recognized as the Best Rural Brand of the Year. It is humbling to witness UPKL grow from being a small statewide professional sports league to one of the top rural brands in the country.

“We still have a long way to go, but recognition like this inspires the entire team to aim higher and achieve greater milestones. Our Season 2 is already being planned, and this award comes at the perfect time to motivate us even further.”

The award was presented by Eggfirst, a leading semi-urban and rural advertising agency. Speaking about the achievement, Ravikant Banka, Founder & CEO of Eggfirst, expressed his admiration for UPKL’s efforts in transforming rural communities.

“Seeing the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League win the Best Rural Brand of the Year award fills me with immense pride. Their dedication to uplifting rural communities through sports is truly inspiring. By fostering grassroots talent, they’ve created something extraordinary—not just a league, but a platform for budding local youth to dream bigger,” said Mr. Banka.

“At Eggfirst, we believe in celebrating initiatives that make a real difference, and UPKL’s story is a beautiful example of how traditional sports can empower and unite rural India. We’re honored to recognize and celebrate their incredible journey at the Eggfirst Chalo Rural Conclave & Awards,” he added.

The first season of UPKL was a major hit among Kabaddi fans, with the excitement of the matches drawing a wide audience from across the country and the state of Uttar Pradesh. It saw participation from 120 players, with each team comprising 15 athletes hailing from various regions of Uttar Pradesh and beyond.

According to data from the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), Season 1 of UPKL recorded an impressive viewership of 30 million on Sony and Doordarshan (DD).

For more updates, follow Khel Now Kabaddi on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.