In a rather amusing revelation, Bollywood actor, producer and sports franchise owner, Abhishek Bachchan said that sometimes, Kabaddi players earn even more than him.
Abhishek Bachchan, who bought the Pro-Kabaddi League franchise team ‘Jaipur Pink Panthers in 2014, which went on to win the first-ever championship held in the same year, spoke about the rise of the sport to becoming the second-most watched sports event after cricket when he divulged that the salaries of these Kabaddi players have surged with the viewership as well, and they sometimes earn even more than him.
In a conversation with a private news channel of the country, Bachchan recalled his first reaction to the idea of a pro-Kabaddi league years ago, “My first reaction was Kabaddi, wow, nobody was thinking about it at that point in time. Me and my team did a bit of background research.”
He continued, “I played kabaddi as a child, but it was all very casual. Then I saw how modern-day kabaddi was being played. I also went to check out a kabaddi match near my home, it was a local tournament but 10,000 people were watching it. The atmosphere just blew me away. I was wondering why haven’t we put this on the national stage. It ticked all the boxes of the kind of work I wanted to do in sports.”
Speaking about how this viewership has helped with the increase in the salaries of the players, Bachchan confessed, “Sometimes Kabaddi players get paid more than me.”
