The Pro Kabaddi League Season 5 is all set to kick off towards the end of July later this year and this edition promises to bigger and better than ever. The new season will feature a total of 12 teams after four news ones from Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh were added this time around.
This increase in the number of teams is a sign of the burgeoning popularity of the sport and the league, which has taken the Indian audience by storm. Recording a 51% cumulative growth over the last four seasons, it is poised to take on the Indian Premier League (IPL) in the race for the country’s most popular sporting leagues.
Sports fans have been converted into kabaddi lovers in the last two years and many celebrities, including cricketers and actors, have become fans of the sport and the franchises. In this article, we take a look at five Bollywood film stars who are fans of Pro Kabaddi sides!
Related: Pro Kabaddi 2017, season 5: Team owners
#1 Abhishek Bachchan
The most obvious choice in this list. Bachchan Jr. is the owner of the Jaipur Pink Panthers, who won the title in the inaugural edition of the league. He has been seen on various occasions coming down to the stadium to support his team.
The Guru and Dhoom lead actor has been one of the key supporters of the Pro Kabaddi League since its inception and has been a name that has been associated with the league since the very beginning. He has played a major role in improving the visibility of the league among the masses as well.
Related: Jaipur Pink Panthers Team Players for Pro Kabaddi 2017, Season 5
#2 Aamir Khan
Mr. Perfectionist, as he is referred to by his fans, is also a huge Pro Kabaddi fan and was spotted at a match wearing a Jaipur Pink Panthers jersey. His love for sports is public knowledge and he is a huge fan of various sports such as cricket, wrestling, chess and kabaddi.chess and kabaddi.
He played the lead role in Dangal, which is one of the biggest blockbusters in Hindi cinema history and is a biopic based on the life of the legendary Mahavir Phogat.
#3 Rana Dugubatti
Dugubatti has been all over the news in recent times thanks to the historical success of the film franchise Bahubali, where he plays the role of the main antagonist Bhallaladeva. He made his debut in Hindi cinema with Dum Maaro Dum and his sporting debut with the Telugu Titans in the Pro Kabaddi League, after he was announced their brand ambassador.
He has often been seen sporting the Titans jersey and has featured in advertisements and photographs with star players such as Rahul Chaudhari and Sukesh Hegde
Related: Telugu Titans Team Players for Pro Kabaddi 2017, Season 5
#4 Vivek Oberoi
The 40-year-old was last seen on the big screen in Krrish 3, for which he was nominated for a Filmfare award as well. In kabaddi, the Company star is a fan of two-time champions Patna Pirates and was spotted at a match with his son two years back.
Related: Patna Pirates Team Players for Pro Kabaddi 2017, Season 5
#5 Sonali Bendre
Bendre is no longer as actively involved in Bollywood as she was earlier but she is a huge kabaddi fan and was spotted in a Jaipur Pink Panthers jersey along with her husband Goldie Behl.
This is not the couple’s only connect with Indian sports as they also own the Haryana Hammers franchise in the Pro Wrestling League as well.