The Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) team, UP Yoddhas have had a tremendous outing at the PKL Auction 2024 as they spent almost INR 3 crore, with all-rounder Bharat Hooda being the costliest player.
Before the auction, the Yoddhas also decided to retain Sumit, Surender Gill, Ashu Singh, and Gagana Gowda.
In the auction, the Yoddhas bought Bharat’s services for INR 1.30 crore. The unit encountered little resistance as it passed the one crore mark for the player but continued to raise the price to ensure that no one could compete with the team. Bharat had been Bengaluru Bulls‘ main raider for the previous two seasons, but the team chose not to re-sign him with its FBM (Final Bid Match) method.
The Yoddhas continued to have a successful season 11 player auction, adding players such as Sahul Kumar (INR 30 Lakh), Mahender Singh (INR 21.40 Lakh), and Bhavani Rajput (INR 45 Lakh). Heidarali Ekrami, a raider, and Iranian defender Mohammadreza Kaboudrahangi were also purchased at the player auction, helping the Yoddhas assemble a strong team with strong depth at every position.
With this kind of squad, the side with an aggressive attitude will also seek out commercial opportunities that will increase the side’s brand value.
SportsMint Media got an opportunity to speak with GMR Sports‘ new CEO, Mr Satyam Trivedi, who also made his debut for UP Yoddhas with the PKL Auction 2024.
During the exclusive interview, Mr Trivedi spoke on a wide range of topics, including players surpassing the one-crore barrier, the importance of star players and more.
1. Clubs’ purchasing power has enhanced as the auction saw eight players surpass the one crore mark; what’s your opinion on the same?
It’s all about the auction planning. There has been incremental growth in overall player perks. Still, players crossing the one crore mark are determined by individual teams, the combination of experienced players and how many NYPs (New Young Players) they want. But it’s encouraging to see how much the PKL as an ecosystem contributes and how well players are paid.
2. Players sold for a higher amount of money last year were bought by teams for a significantly lower price this year. From a business standpoint, what would you like to say about it?
Someone will be sold at a higher price, and that player may be sold again at a lower price the following season. It does not define their skill level because they are all extremely talented players. These factors depend on team planning as well. It’s also a matter of one good season, whether in the PKL or national camps, and they’ll be back in the running for a position that is significantly higher than before.
3. How vital is a star player in a team in terms of attracting sponsorships and viewership?
A star player is important and depends on whether a team wants to acquire from an auction or develop one. This depends on the franchise’s approach, and PKL, within its guidelines, provides an excellent platform under the NYP scheme.
These star players, paid in crores, were once NYP and are now icons. Some have been retained by the team and a few have been auctioned off. However, every team eventually looks for faces that the audience or fans can identify with, and these individuals become the franchise’s faces.
4. Will India’s success at the Paris Olympics benefit Kabaddi, as non-cricket sports have started to gain prime attention?
Non-cricket sports have started doing great in India. The viewership of the Olympics talks about it. However, PKL has always been doing good. The way PKL is structured, corporations have invested in it, and Star, as a broadcaster, markets it, it has already gained significant popularity, not just in rural areas but also in cities. People outside of India talk about PKL, so it’s a successful format, and as non-cricket sports become more popular in India, Kabaddi will grow as well.
5. How will PKL’s 17% growth last season be leveraged for the upcoming edition?
Getting over 250 million viewers is fantastic. No private league in India has crossed beyond 100 million except IPL and PKL, so it has set its benchmark. Every other league is looking up to PKL and they want to replicate a similar model.
6. How will you leverage your experience handling sports teams while managing UP Yoddhas?
The experience of handling multi-sports teams helps both ways. While managing UP Yoddhas and vice versa, what we do here helps the other sports unit. You receive the cross-functional leverage as you cover a multi-sport franchise.
7. What steps will you employ to secure additional sponsors for the team this season as the new GMR CEO?
We are always looking for more sponsors to work with. The approach is to go into the market and talk about the players you’ve signed and the franchise’s commitment throughout several seasons. For the majority of the years, we have qualified.
Last season, we had several injuries. Certain aspects are beyond your control; otherwise, we have always had a well-balanced squad. We’ve always qualified, and we’re hoping for an even better performance this season.