Why Haryana's 'Champions League' Is Not National: Inside Kabaddi's Second Tier

Ten teams, all from Haryana cities. Jhajjar Jaguars, Kurukshetra Knights, Bhiwani Bulls, Rohtak, Karnal Kings, Gurugram, Sonipat, Panipat, Faridabad Fighters, Hisar. The name says 'Kabaddi Champions League.' It sounds like a national kabaddi competition in India. But step onto the mat and you see it is essentially a state-level league wrapped in the branding of an international 'Champions League.' Not a 250-crore prize pool, not performance data—just ten city names and a big name. For those who have watched kabaddi for years, this is nothing new; but for the outside reader, this naming trap matters. The story of this league's expansion must be seen against the backdrop of the Pro Kabaddi League's (PKL) broadcast-rights crisis. PKL 13's broadcast deal has ended, and a new media partner is not yet confirmed. Smaller leagues are filling that vacuum. Kabaddi Champions League expanded from 8 to 10 teams before the season, raised the auction purse to Rs 5 crore (about USD 600,000) per franchise. More than 300 players were put up for auction. These numbers suggest the league is growing—but where? All ten teams are from Haryana state cities. It is a regional league with a geographic footprint confined to one state. Kabaddi is an ancient South Asian contact sport where offense and defense are separated in time. The raider enters the opponent's half and must touch one or more defenders and return within 30 seconds. Each touch is a point. If the 'cant'—the 'kabaddi, kabaddi' chant—breaks, the raid is void. If defenders stop the raider, it's a tackle point. When all players are out, it's an 'all out'—the opponent gets 2 bonus points, and the eliminated team revives. These rules make kabaddi a fast, high-scoring game. But the Champions League report never states which ruleset they play—Standard Style or Circle Style. The absence of this information in a professional league announcement is itself a signal. Auction prices reveal the budget reality. Top-priced player Ayan Lochab—Rs 17.4 lakh, team Jhajjar Jaguars. Second, Bharat Hooda at Rs 16.6 lakh, Karnal Kings. Third, Naveen Goyat at Rs 15.2 lakh, Kurukshetra Knights. Yet Sunil Malik, described as 'India's Asian Games captain,' went for only Rs 10 lakh to Faridabad Fighters. The report does not explain this price disparity. If he is truly a national team captain, why is his price lower than top raiders? Possible reasons: he is a defensive or utility player, undervalued in PKL market logic; or age/form decline; or the 'Asian Games captain' title is not recent. Auction prices here are not a proxy for performance. With a Rs 5 crore purse, the top price of Rs 17.4 lakh is about one-thirtieth of the purse. Most of the remaining 300 players earn very little. On average, a player's income may be less than Rs 1.5 lakh. This signals a semi-professional labor market. The league's real asset is Haryana's deep talent pool. Sonipat trials saw 6,400 registrations, Rohtak 650. This is the league's most credible signal—because it reflects genuine grassroots demand, not media claims. But here lies the structural weakness. There is no information on the league's broadcast or sponsorship revenue. All ten teams being in Haryana reduces travel costs but limits national sponsorship appeal. Whether the league is sanctioned by the Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India (AKFI) or the International Kabaddi Federation (IKF), and what its relationship is with them, is unclear. In a league with 300 players, questions of labor rights and contract protection arise, absent from the report. In my view, the biggest curiosity is the name. 'Champions League' evokes European football or cricket's Champions League. But all ten teams are from one state. This is not an international or national competition. It has no role in kabaddi's international expansion. It has no connection with Iran, Bangladesh, or South Korea. Having watched kabaddi for years, my experience says a league's strength is measured by on-mat performance data, broadcast deals, and transparency in player earnings. In the Champions League, all three are missing. Yet its grassroots pull (6,400 trial registrations) cannot be ignored. The question is: will this league survive when PKL returns? If PKL 13 finds a new broadcast partner by mid-2027, this league's 'opportunity' shrinks. Next season, watch two things—whether the league signs a broadcast deal, and how the second season's match quality looks. The answer to these two questions will tell whether this is just a regional experiment or a lasting second tier in India's kabaddi structure.