The Pro-Kabaddi League’s 10th edition will return in the 12-city caravan format and is slated to begin on December 2. Ahead of the new season, the player auction for Season 10 is set to take place in Mumbai today. The auction comes days after India’s men’s kabaddi team won the Gold Medal at the recently concluded Asian Games 2023.
Mr Suhail Chandhok, CEO of U Mumba talked about his strategy & plans ahead of the tenth edition
U Mumba has a new face at the helm – Suhail Chandhok, CEO, who has put down his thoughts before this season’s auction around the team’s strategy ahead of the 10th edition. U Mumba were finalists in the inaugural Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) season and subsequently champions in Season 2. Before PKL’s season 10, the team revamped its coaching contingent with an eye on stabilising the team and putting longstanding frameworks in place. According to Suhail, the emphasis is now on investing in the younger generation, with touches of experience, who focus to be fit through the year rather than pursuing established stars.
1: The goal is to infuse a stronger sense of community in the team. U Mumba should resonate the spirit of Mumbai, known for its grit, tenacity, and aspirations as a city of dreams. Every player should aspire to be part of U Mumba and we should be able to see them fulfil their dreams with us.
2: I believe this auction remains extremely significant, not primarily in quantity but in quality. With a substantial budget, building an entire squad is challenging. This is why we emphasize retaining our core players—starting from scratch is tough when building a team.
3: Retaining our core players was intentional, as we only needed to fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle with individuals who would complement them. While these players are young in terms of age, they gain experience with each passing season. We aim to build a youthful team for the future. There’s undoubtedly a noticeable inclination towards younger professionals who are in peak form. The player scouting process has improved significantly, and teams have grown more confident in their ability to unearth exceptional talents through diligent scouting.
4: In this auction, we’re taking a comprehensive approach, and at this stage, I can affirm that we’re examining all options. We have our eyes on several promising young talents to strike a balance between experienced players and promising youth in the franchise.
Number of Players in the U Mumba Squad– 13
Money Remaining in the Purse – Rs 26,998,360
Do check out: PKL 2023 Retained Players List: The Ultimate List of Players Set to Ignite the 10th Season of Pro Kabaddi League!
