VIVO Pro Kabaddi has become India’s biggest sports league with the inclusion of four new teams that will participate in the league from Season 5 onward due to be played in July – October this year. The announcement of the four new team owners was made by Mashal Sports, organizer and administrator of the league and its parent organization STAR India.
Mr. Uday Shankar, Chairman and CEO, Star India said, “I am delighted to welcome some of India’s finest corporates to our Mission Kabaddi. We believe that with the support of existing and new partners we are well on our course to realizing a socially transformative sports agenda. The interest shown by these corporates is evidence of the immense potential of Kabaddi.”
With this, Mashal Sports successfully concludes the tender process and the four new franchises announced by Mashal Sports represent some of the leading corporate institutions in India, including prominent owners of teams in the ongoing Indian Premier League as well as the I-League. The new geographies for VIVO Pro Kabaddi Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat have been primarily chosen for their high affinity towards Kabaddi with massive fan bases, significant on-ground presence of the sport, and potential commercial value to sponsors and advertisers.
With this, VIVO Pro Kabaddi is poised to surpass other Indian sports leagues in terms of geographical representation – 11 states, number of matches – 130+ matches and length of the tournament – 13 weeks. This is a reflection of Mashal Sports and Star India’s continuous endeavour to grow the sport from strength to strength every season.
Mr. Janardan Singh Gehlot, President, International Kabaddi Federation, said, “We laud Star India and Mashal Sports for uniquely transforming and renewing Kabaddi, and their relentless efforts to scale it even higher. The addition of 4 new teams to the ever-growing VIVO Pro Kabaddi League signifies a promising road ahead for the sport in India as well as over the world.”
The New Franchises & Owners
| City/State | Franchise | Owner/Promoter |
| Chennai/Tamil Nadu | Iquest Enterprises Private Limited (Consortium) | N Prasad & Sachin Tendulkar |
| Ahmedabad/Gujarat | Adani Wilmar Limited | Adani Group |
| Lucknow/Uttar Pradesh | GMR League Games Private Limited | GMR Group |
| Haryana | JSW Sports Private Limited | JSW Group |