Ashu Malik among 18 Yuva Kabaddi Series players signed by franchises during PKL auction

New Delhi [India], October 13 (ANI): Players from the Yuva Kabaddi Series (YKS) dominated the Pro Kabaddi League Season 10 auction as 18 players from the tournament were picked by the franchisees.
Ashu Malik, star of the Yuva Kabaddi Series Summer Edition 2022 final, stole the show at the auction as he earned a whopping Rs 96.25 lakh through Dabang Delhi's successful FBM. Besides Malik, right raider from Haryana, Nitin Kumar (Bengal Warriors) and Tamil Nadu right raider, Masanamuthu Lakshnanan (Tamil Thalaivas) was among the other notable picks who went up to Rs 32.20 lakh and Rs 31.60 lakh respectively from a base price of Rs 9 lakh as the franchisees spent over Rs 7 crore on 63 players that came to limelight after their impressive performances in the Yuva Kabaddi Series, as per a press release from Yuva Kabaddi Series.
Since its launch in 2022, the Yuva Kabaddi Series has emerged as the game-changer for Indian kabaddi as it aims to empower the country's budding kabaddi stars by providing them with a highly competitive environment through this tournament.
"We are extremely happy and proud of our Yuva Kabaddi Series players, who have proved their mettle and earned their places in the Pro Kabaddi League. The auction result endorses our vision of creating a platform for young and aspiring kabaddi players to showcase their talent and get exposure to the highest level of the sport. We congratulate all the players who have been picked in the auction and wish them all the best for the upcoming season," commented Vikas Gautam, CEO of Yuva Kabaddi Series.
The current top raider of the ongoing Yuva Kabaddi Series Monsoon Edition 2023, Sandeep Kumar was picked by Patna Pirates for Rs9 lakh. Sandeep, who hails from Bihar, has scored 190 points in 14 matches so far in the ongoing edition.
The auction witnessed a huge demand for the Yuva Kabaddi Series players, who had impressed the franchise owners with their skills and potential. In addition to the 18 players, who were picked in the auction, 24 players were signed through the New Young Players (NYPs) program by various teams who spent Rs2.25 crore, while 21 players were retained by their previous teams for this season by spending Rs2.04 crore. The Yuva Kabaddi Series has not only provided a platform for players from all corners of the country to showcase their talent but has also contributed to increased representation from various states, featuring standout New Young Players (NYPs) like M Sudhakar (Tamil Nadu), Praful Zaware (Maharashtra), Ajit Pawar (Maharashtra), Kunal Bhati (Uttar Pradesh), Rohit Yadav (Rajasthan), and Gagan Gowda (Karnataka).
Yuva Kabaddi Series is a tournament for the next-gen players as it also offers a professional platform for youngsters (U-23, Below 80 kgs) to groom them for the biggest stage. Till date, over 1400 youth players have been engaged in 725 matches involving 76 coaches, overseen by 177 officials. Besides creating a viable career pathway in sport, it targets more well-rounded individuals out of the players by offering them support in financial literacy, media training and training in nutrition during the time they spend with the Yuva Kabaddi Series.
The ongoing monsoon edition of the Yuva Kabaddi Series has been taking place in Madurai with the grand finale scheduled on October 22. (ANI)