Jaipur, 15th January, 2024: The Bengal Warriors, who are captained by the inimitable Maninder Singh, have been among the strongest pillars of the Pro Kabaddi League, who have had a storied journey over the last decade. Now, in their 10th season, the Pro Kabaddi League, has also reached the milestone of 1000 matches.
The 1000th match of the PKL will see the Bengaluru Bulls come up against an in-form Bengal Warriors. Both sides have been part of the decade long journey of the PKL so far, and are among the foremost pillars of strength for the sport.
While the Bengaluru Bulls won Season 6 of the PKL, the tournament’s title travelled to the Bengal Warriors camp in the next season. Meanwhile, the Patna Pirates and the Jaipur Pink Panthers are among the most decorated teams in the mix.
Bengal Warriors’ Captain Maninder Singh, who was part of the first-ever PKL match between U Mumba and Jaipur Pink Panthers said, “It feels really great that the 1000th PKL match will be played on Monday. I played for Jaipur in the first match and will play the 1000th match in Jaipur, so what could be better than that. Kabaddi is a very injury-prone sport so I feel really happy to be around the league for 1000 matches.”
The raider further added, “My journey has been really good and it feels great to have a long career. I am trying to maintain my fitness and keep playing for as long as I can. The game has become very fast now as compared to the first game. There were no Do or Die raids in the first season so if a team took a big lead then its opponents found it difficult to make comebacks in the matches. So innovative rules such as Do or Die raids have made the game very interesting.”
Speaking on the occasion, Bengal Warriors’ Co-Owner Akshay Kumar said, “Here’s congratulating the Bengal Warriors as they play the 1000th PKL match. It has been a remarkable journey so far. Wishing the best to my Warriors, and the league.”
“The journey of the past decade has been immense, and we at the Bengal Warriors could not be happier that we were there in the first year, and now in the 1000th game. It is a matter of immense pride for the Indian sporting fraternity, and for us at Capri Sports and Bengal Warriors, as we continue nurture the Warrior spirit. We would like to congratulate everyone involved, and wish the PKL and the other stakeholders and hope to see more than 10,000 games being played eventually,” said Jinisha Sharma, Director – Capri Sports.
“This is a moment that calls for a massive celebration for the sport of Kabaddi, and we hope to play our part in it,” she added.
