Singer Badshah Gives An Adrenaline Push To Ultimate Kho Kho Ultimate Kho Kho has been sprinkled with some Bollywood masala after singer Badshah became co-owner of the Mumbai franchise alongside film producer Punit Balan.
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
Ultimate Kho Kho has been sprinkled with some Bollywood masala after singer Badshah became co-owner of the Mumbai franchise alongside film producer Punit Balan.
Badshah believes Ultimate Kho Kho has enormous potential and also feels attached to the game because of the nostalgic value it holds for him, along with its frenetic pace. His objective is to inspire more youngsters to join in and build superstars in this native sport through this association.
SEE VIDEO: Koffee With Karan Season 7: The Trio Behind Karan Johar's Upcoming Show
"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," said Badshah about his first sports venture.
"It's an adrenaline packed, fast-paced indoor sport with extremely agile players doing sky-dives in the 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," he added.
Balan, on the other hand, is a young entrepreneur who heads the Balan Group, which is valued at INR 3,500 crore. He also owns teams in various sporting leagues like badminton, tennis, table tennis and handball league apart from investment in sports employment start-up and actively supporting various sportspersons.
SEE VIDEO: Cyrus Broacha talks about the evolution of comedy as a business in India
"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," said Balan.
The traditional sport originated in Maharashtra and three teams from the state competed in the National Championships and in the recently concluded Khelo India Youth Games, where they emerged champions in both boys and girls categories.
"We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Badshah and Punit as co-owners of the sixth franchise. We already have on-boarded 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.
The league shall be broadcasted across Sony Network India's (SPNI) sports channels SonyTEN 1(SD & HD), SonyTEN 3 (SD & HD), SonyTEN 4 and on SonyLIV in Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu as other regional languages.
