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Following the recent confirmation of participation from international players across Europe, Africa and Asia, the Global Pravasi Kabaddi League (GPKL) on Sunday announced that Season 2 will feature a structured player draft framework aimed at building balanced and competitive teams.
According to a release, the draft system is designed to integrate domestic and international talent while ensuring inclusive participation of both male and female athletes under a unified league structure. Each franchise in GPKL Season 2 will field two teams, one men's and one women's, reinforcing the league's commitment to the parallel growth of both formats of the sport. Further, every team will mandatorily comprise a mix of domestic and pravasi players, reflecting the league's core philosophy of bringing together India's kabaddi strength with emerging global participation. Building on the league's evolution from its launch season as GIPKL, the Season 2 draft framework represents the next step in shaping professionally organised squads that reflect both competitive balance and international integration. Under this model, players emerging from structured trials will be evaluated across technical ability, fitness, tactical awareness and team adaptability before being placed into a central draft pool. Franchise teams will then select players from this pool through a guided draft process that is expected to be coach-led and strategically aligned with team requirements. Season 2 is expected to feature male and female athletes from multiple countries, including England, the Netherlands, Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Germany, Tanzania, Kenya, Cameroon, Hong Kong and Taiwan, alongside domestic players from India's strong kabaddi regions. Speaking about the Pravasi concept, HIPSA President Kanthi D Suresh said: "The Pravasi element is central to GPKL's vision. Each player coming from a foreign country does not just participate in the league; they become a spokesperson for the sport when they return home. This creates a natural pathway for kabaddi to grow internationally and reach newer audiences across the world." By enabling franchises to build squads through a structured process that integrates domestic and pravasi participation, GPKL continues to position itself as a professionally governed platform aimed at popularising kabaddi globally. (ANI)
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