- Pentaforce Sports-backed Ahmedabad Heritage Heroes unveiled as Gujarat Kabaddi League takes shape
- Initiative looks beyond one league to build a sustainable ecosystem of coaching, fitness, nutrition and competition
- Around 400 kabaddi players currently training in Ahmedabad; ambitious target set to take the number beyond 4,000
- Talent hunt to extend from Ahmedabad to Gujarat’s cities and rural belts, opening a wider competitive pathway
- Jagat Patel and Bhaskar Bhatt call for stronger coordination among players, coaches, associations, government and sporting stakeholders
NE SPORTS BUREAU
AHMEDABAD, OCT 7
Can Gujarat turn its deep-rooted love for kabaddi into a structured sporting movement that produces not just league players, but a new generation of champions? That is the larger question behind the launch of Ahmedabad Heritage Heroes, a Pentaforce Sports-backed team that is preparing to take the Gujarat Kabaddi League beyond the boundaries of a sporting competition and towards a wider grassroots development mission.
With the Gujarat State Kabaddi Association organising the Gujarat Kabaddi League, Ahmedabad Heritage Heroes has been officially unveiled as one of the teams associated with the initiative. The project envisages creating a stronger and more organised platform for kabaddi, expanding opportunities for players, developing modern sporting infrastructure and nurturing talent across Gujarat.
At the heart of the initiative is sports promoter Jagat Patel, who says the objective is considerably larger than simply participating in a league.
“After the announcement of the Gujarat Kabaddi League, I was approached as a person associated with sports. However, my objective is not limited to this league. I have joined this initiative with the aim of developing modern facilities for sports, including kabaddi, in Ahmedabad and Gujarat, providing training and guidance to players, and creating more competitive opportunities for them,” Patel said.
From traditional sport to a professional pathway
Kabaddi, deeply embedded in India’s sporting culture, has gained considerable visibility through professional competitions in recent years. The challenge now is to convert that growing popularity into a sustainable player-development pipeline.
“Kabaddi is one of India’s traditional and popular sports. Over the past few years, the recognition kabaddi has received at the professional level has increased interest in the sport among the youth. Gujarat also has no shortage of talented players. What is needed is to provide the right platform, quality training, guidance and regular opportunities to compete,” Patel said.
He stressed that competitive tournaments alone cannot create a strong sporting ecosystem.
“Kabaddi is important not only as a sport but also as a means of developing teamwork, discipline, physical ability, confidence and quick decision-making skills among the youth. Therefore, organising competitions alone is not enough for the development of the sport. It is also important to provide players with coaching, fitness, proper nutrition and modern sports facilities,” he said.
The 400-to-4,000 ambition
Pentaforce Sports is also looking at establishing a kabaddi academy as part of its longer-term development strategy.
According to the organisation’s study, around 400 players are currently undergoing kabaddi training in Ahmedabad. The initiative has set an ambitious target of taking this number to more than 4,000 in a short period, while widening the talent pool beyond the city.
The proposed approach includes identifying promising players from different parts of Gujarat and connecting them with structured coaching, fitness programmes and regular competitive opportunities.
The emphasis, therefore, is not merely on finding players for a league, but on creating a pathway through which young athletes can progress from grassroots training to higher levels of competition.
Heritage Heroes looks beyond one season
For Bhaskar Bhatt, associated with Ahmedabad Heritage Heroes, the decision to join the initiative followed discussions with colleagues and an assessment of the existing kabaddi ecosystem in the state.
“When the initiative to start the Gujarat Kabaddi League came up, some of my colleagues discussed with me about joining this initiative. After that, I tried to understand the status of kabaddi in Gujarat, the opportunities available to players and the challenges they face. After this entire process, I felt that there is a need to provide a stronger and more organised platform for kabaddi in Gujarat,” Bhatt said.
He underlined the need to take kabaddi deeper into Gujarat’s sporting landscape.
“It is important to make kabaddi, one of the popular sports in the country, more and more popular in Gujarat. The objective of Ahmedabad Heritage Heroes is not limited to just one league or competition. Efforts will be made to create a long-term environment for kabaddi in the state and provide opportunities for talent from different cities and rural areas to come forward,” he said.
A larger sporting ecosystem
Bhatt also believes the initiative should become part of a broader conversation about sports development in Gujarat.
“In my view, not only kabaddi but all other sports in Gujarat should also get proper priority and a platform. There are many sports in the state in which our youth have the potential to perform well at the national and international levels. There is a need to make continuous efforts to provide them with proper facilities, training and guidance,” he said.
He also offered support for taking the concerns of players and sporting organisations to the appropriate authorities.
“If players or organisations associated with sports have any issues and there is a need to raise them with the government, I will always support in taking the players’ concerns to the appropriate level. Better coordination between the government, sports associations, coaches, players and people associated with sports is also necessary,” Bhatt said.
Building the next generation of Gujarat athletes
Ahmedabad Heritage Heroes and Pentaforce Sports intend to use the Gujarat Kabaddi League as a springboard for a broader sporting movement, with talent identification, training, infrastructure and competition forming the key pillars.
The initiative is expected to be pursued with the support of stakeholders associated with the sport, including the Gujarat State Kabaddi Association, Amateur Kabaddi Federation of India, Bhagwan Sahay Yogiji and K.C. Suthar.
The larger ambition is clear: if Gujarat’s sporting talent — from its urban centres as well as its villages — can be identified early and provided with the right coaching, facilities, nutrition, fitness support and competitive exposure, the kabaddi mat could become a much bigger launchpad for Gujarat’s sporting ambitions.