A well-known Bollywood singer and rapper, Aditya Prateek Singh Sisodia, popularly known as Badshah, has joined the Ultimate Kho Kho (UKK) as a co-owner of the Mumbai franchise, along with the reputed film producer, developer, and sports enthusiast, Punit Balan.
The team from Mumbai rounds off the lineup for the inaugural Ultimate Kho Kho, which will take place later this year.
Intrigued by the game’s pace and graceful style, as well as the sentimental value it holds for him, Badshah thinks Ultimate Kho Kho has enormous potential. Through this association, he seeks to encourage and develop superstars in this indigenous sport.
Talking about the association, Badshah said, “My mother used to play Kho-Kho during her college days and this ground-rooted game is very close to my heart. This nostalgic and personal connection triggered me to be part of Ultimate Kho Kho.
“It’s an adrenaline packed, fast-paced indoor sport with extremely agile players doing Sky-Dives in air. In general, the culture of Mumbai is fast and efficient and that’s what we want this team to be. My vision would be to nurture the best players out of this league, and we want to ensure the best environment, infrastructure, training and nutrition for the players.”
Balan, a young and energetic entrepreneur, is among the few new-age sports investors. In addition to leading the Balan Group, a corporation valued at INR 3,500 crore, he owns teams in different sports leagues such as badminton, tennis, table tennis, and handball leagues, as well as investing in sports employment start-ups and actively supporting numerous sportspersons.
Balan, Co-owner of the Mumbai franchise, commented, “It’s very important to adopt the right approach if you want to grow something. I have been involved in developing sports through leagues in the past and now alongside Ultimate Kho Kho, I want to play a part in Kho-Kho’s journey to success.”
Maharashtra is the birthplace of the traditional sport, and the state has long been a leading force on the Indian Kho-Kho circuit.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Badshah and Punit as co-owners of the sixth franchise. We already have onboarded big corporates as well as the Government of Odisha and now these two popular names from the entertainment sector reflect the positioning and calibre of the league. Kho-Kho has deep roots in Maharashtra and a team representing the state’s capital will surely help us bolster the popularity of the game,” said Ultimate Kho Kho CEO, Tenzing Niyogi.
With this advancement, Ultimate Kho Kho got a step closer to its goal of reinventing the homegrown sport. The government of Odisha, in partnership with ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel, Adani Group, GMR Group, Capri Global, and KLO Sports, were among the first to acquire franchises in the league.
The tournament can be viewed live in Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, and other regional languages on Sony Sports Network. The same will be streamed live on Sony’s OTT network, Sony Liv.