* Play-offs scheduled in Mumbai and Chennai; the latter will also host the finals
* First match will see Telugu Titans take-on new team, Tamil Thalaivas
Mumbai, 28 June, 2017: Mashal Sports, the pioneers of VIVO Pro Kabaddi, and Star Sports, India's leading sports broadcaster, began the countdown to the much-anticipated Season 5 of the league, with the unveiling of the new format and fixtures for the season.
VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 5 will begin on July 28, 2017 in Hyderabad and will travel across 12 host cities, culminating in Chennai with the ultimate battle of Kabaddi supremacy taking place on October 28, 2017. The first match will see Rahul Chaudhari-led Telugu Titans clash with Tamil Thalaivas, which boasts of marquee player, Ajay Thakur.
The 12 teams have been divided into two zones of six teams each, where each of them will be playing 15 intra-zone and 7 inter-zone matches, prior to the play-offs. The play-offs stage will comprise 3 action-packed qualifiers and 2 eliminators scheduled to take place in Mumbai and Chennai.
Anupam Goswami, League Commissioner, VIVO Pro Kabaddi said, "For Season 5, our goal was to create a high-impact tournament which evokes euphoric sentiment among fans for their favourite teams. Strong contenders will be seen clashing in the action-packed 3 months of the league. The longer duration of the league, in addition to 12 teams battling in 138 matches, will give fans an exciting season of kabaddi to cheer for."
Deoraj Chaturvedi, CEO, International Kabaddi Federation said, "It is our foremost priority to tirelessly work towards nurturing and developing an evocative and engaging Kabaddi culture in India. The International Kabaddi Federation worked with Mashal Sports to create a dynamic schedule for VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 5 which will thrill the audiences. We are proud to see that the league, which is uniquely driven by innovation, has grown into one of the biggest in Indian sports."
Fans can catch all the action from VIVO Pro Kabaddi Season 5 on the Star Sports network and Hot star. Please find the complete schedule in the annexure.
