NOIDA: As kabaddi cements its place in India’s sporting mainstream, Sambhav Jain has emerged as one of the architects shaping its next phase of growth. Founder and director of SJ Uplift Kabaddi, Jain has spent over a decade building grassroots-to-professional sporting platforms, with a particular focus on transforming indigenous sports into sustainable, aspirational ecosystems.
Best known as the force behind the Uttar Pradesh Kabaddi League, he champions state-level leagues as the foundation of India’s sporting future: where structure, visibility and cultural pride converge.
In this interview with Indian Television Dot Com, Jain speaks candidly about kabaddi’s cultural resurgence, the hard realities of building sports institutions, and his long-term vision for an Indian-led, globally respected kabaddi ecosystem.
- Do you think the growing interest in kabaddi reflects a broader cultural revival across India?
Very strongly. Kabaddi’s growth today is not accidental; it reflects a broader cultural revival where India is reclaiming confidence and pride in its indigenous sports. For decades, traditional games were viewed as informal or rural, while aspiration was linked to imported formats. That perception is now changing decisively.
Kabaddi embodies values that are inherently Indian—courage, discipline, teamwork, resilience, and adaptability. What we are seeing today is not just higher viewership or packed venues, but a deeper emotional reconnection. Audiences are engaging with kabaddi with pride, analysis, and long-term loyalty rather than nostalgia alone.
This cultural shift is also reflected in how the sport is being positioned. When we announced Sapna Choudhary as the brand ambassador for one of the teams, the response was immediate and organic. Haryana has been one of the strongest kabaddi-producing regions in the country, and Sapna represents both regional pride and contemporary popular culture. Her association helped the league connect authentically with grassroots fans while also resonating with younger, urban audiences.
These moments underline a larger truth: when kabaddi is presented with professional structure while respecting its cultural roots, it becomes more than a sport. It becomes a reflection of a confident, culturally rooted, and modern India.
- Who are the types of people participating in the sport today, and which groups do you want to widen participation for?
Kabaddi has always drawn its strength from grassroots India—players from villages, small towns, farming families, defence backgrounds, and working-class communities. That remains the backbone of the sport and will always be its greatest asset.
What has become increasingly evident is how structured platforms can unlock this potential. From Season 1 to Season 2 of UPKL, we saw a clear expansion in the talent pool, both in terms of depth and readiness. More players were match-fit, technically sound, and prepared for professional competition. This growth itself is proof that when grassroots pathways are created and sustained, talent responds.
Our focus has been on opening access earlier through school systems, local academies, and organised scouting. This has allowed younger athletes to enter the ecosystem sooner, train consistently, and view kabaddi as a long-term career rather than a short-term opportunity.
Going forward, widening participation at the grassroots level especially among women, young girls, and age-group athletes is central to our vision. Grassroots development is not optional; it is foundational. Season-on-season growth in the talent pool reinforces a simple truth: sustainable leagues are built from the ground up, not the top down.
- Who were your sporting heroes growing up, and how did they influence your thinking?
Having played domestic cricket, my early sporting influences naturally came from athletes who represented excellence at the highest level. Sachin Tendulkar’s relentless commitment to his craft, Rahul Dravid’s discipline and mental resilience, and Bhaichung Bhutia’s courage in carrying Indian sport onto the global stage all left a deep impression on me.
What stood out across these athletes was not just success, but professionalism. They approached sport with respect, preparation, and consistency, regardless of pressure or circumstance. Their humility off the field was as instructive as their performances on it.
These values have shaped how I approach kabaddi today not merely as a sport, but as an ecosystem that must be built with integrity, long-term vision, and respect for those who participate in it. The lesson has always been clear: sustainable success is never accidental; it is the outcome of discipline, structure, and patience.
- What have been the biggest highlights and challenges while growing SJ Uplift Kabaddi?
The biggest highlight has been seeing intent translate into real opportunity. Watching players who once competed on mud courts progress to professional mats—performing under broadcast lights, with structured contracts, medical support, and national visibility—has been deeply fulfilling. That transition validates why platforms like this are necessary.
Season 2 of UPKL was a particularly defining phase. The league expanded to 12 teams, welcomed four new franchises, and secured a long-term broadcast partnership with Zee. We also saw increased interest from mainstream owners and partners, alongside record-setting individual and team performances. These milestones signalled that the league was no longer experimental; it was becoming institutional.
At the same time, the challenges have been significant. Building credibility in a developing sports market requires patience and consistency. Aligning multiple stakeholders—players, franchises, broadcasters, sponsors, and local bodies—while maintaining operational discipline is complex. Scaling logistics across venues, ensuring athlete welfare, and balancing commercial growth without compromising sporting integrity are constant challenges.
However, these challenges are necessary. Each season has strengthened the ecosystem, sharpened execution, and reinforced our belief that long-term success in kabaddi depends on structure, trust, and sustained investment—not shortcuts.
- What key lessons have you learnt, and what would you do differently if you started again?
One of the most important lessons has been that grassroots investment cannot be an afterthought. Elite performance is always a downstream outcome of access, quality coaching, and continuity at the base. Without strengthening that foundation, professional leagues struggle to sustain depth and consistency.
Another key learning has been the importance of patience. Sporting ecosystems take time to mature. Credibility, trust, and consistency matter far more than speed, and every season must build meaningfully on the last.
If I were to start again, I would place even greater emphasis on early visibility and storytelling alongside development. Platforms like Screenox demonstrate how regional and mass visibility can significantly amplify reach and aspiration. When young athletes and their families see kabaddi represented prominently across screens and public spaces, it reinforces belief in the sport as a viable professional pathway.
In parallel, I would continue to invest earlier in youth development structures—school competitions, academies, age-group leagues, and long-term player welfare systems. Development and visibility must grow together; one without the other limits impact.
- Who would be your ideal promoter of kabaddi on social media?
The ideal promoters of kabaddi are not defined by follower counts alone. What truly matters is credibility, authenticity, and a genuine connection with the sport. Kabaddi needs voices that understand its discipline, physical demands, and cultural roots—not just its entertainment value.
For example, when Rahul Chaudhari came on board as a brand ambassador for UPKL, it resonated strongly because his journey reflects what kabaddi stands for. As a player who rose through the grassroots system to compete at the highest level, his voice carries trust across players, fans, and aspiring athletes.
Promoters like this bridge generations. They connect grassroots communities, young aspirants, and urban audiences without diluting the sport’s identity. Whether it’s athletes, coaches, or culturally rooted public figures, authenticity matters far more than celebrity.
Kabaddi’s strength lies in its honesty. Social media should amplify that truth, inspire participation, and build long-term belief in the sport rather than chase short-term visibility.
- How do you balance international exposure with maintaining indigenous focus?
International expansion is a natural progression for kabaddi, but it must be built on a strong Indian foundation. Our vision through platforms like the World Super Kabaddi League is to take the sport to global audiences without disconnecting it from its roots.
The intent is clear: Indian players remain central to kabaddi’s global journey. As the sport expands into new markets, it should be Indian athletes, coaches, and systems that lead that growth. This ensures authenticity while also setting competitive benchmarks internationally.
At the same time, global exposure is essential if kabaddi is to evolve into an Olympic-recognised sport. That journey requires structured international competition, consistent rules, professional governance, and visibility across continents. Leagues like WSKL are designed to contribute to that ecosystem creating platforms where kabaddi can be seen, understood, and respected worldwide.
The balance, therefore, is not between global and local, but between expansion and identity. If done right, kabaddi can grow into a global sport led by India, powered by Indian talent, and recognised on the world’s biggest sporting stages.
- How has technology changed kabaddi’s reach and impact?
Technology has fundamentally transformed kabaddi’s reach and accessibility. Live broadcasts, digital streaming, and social media platforms have taken the sport far beyond physical stadiums, allowing fans, scouts, and stakeholders to engage with kabaddi from anywhere in the country.
More importantly, technology has changed opportunity. Today, a player from a small town or village can be seen by selectors, coaches, and franchises across regions. This visibility has raised aspiration and accountability. Athletes now train with a clearer understanding of performance benchmarks, career pathways, and professional expectations.
Technology has also strengthened the ecosystem behind the athletes. Performance data, analytics, video analysis, and digital storytelling are helping coaches, support staff, and league operators improve preparation and decision-making. At the fan level, consistent digital content has deepened engagement and understanding of the sport.
In essence, technology has helped kabaddi transition from being location-bound to opportunity-driven making the sport more inclusive, transparent, and sustainable for the long term.
- What message would you give to parents considering kabaddi for their children?
Kabaddi today is a legitimate and structured professional pathway. With organised leagues like UPKL, young athletes now have access to proper contracts, national visibility, medical support, and clearly defined progression routes.
Beyond financial opportunity, kabaddi contributes significantly to a child’s overall development. It builds discipline, physical fitness, confidence, teamwork, and mental resilience qualities that are valuable both within and outside sport.
Most importantly, parents no longer need to view sport and education as opposing choices. With the right balance, kabaddi can complement academic growth rather than compete with it. Supporting a child’s interest in kabaddi is no longer a gamble; it is an informed, structured investment in their holistic development and future.
- How does kabaddi reflect India’s national pride, and why does your platform succeed in doing so?
Kabaddi reflects India’s national pride because it is one of the few sports that is truly universal across the country. It is played in villages and cities, in mud grounds and school playgrounds, across government schools, private institutions, and local communities. For many Indians, kabaddi is not something they discover on television it’s something they grow up playing.
That familiarity creates a powerful emotional connection. Kabaddi represents grit, courage, teamwork, and inclusivity values that cut across language, region, and socio-economic background. It is a sport where access has never been limited by expensive infrastructure, making it one of the most democratic forms of competition in India.
Our platform succeeds because it builds on this deep-rooted presence rather than trying to reinvent the sport. We respect kabaddi’s grassroots origins while providing it with professional structure, visibility, and governance. When audiences watch kabaddi through our leagues, they recognise something familiar, but elevated.
That balance between authenticity and professionalism is what allows kabaddi to reflect a confident, contemporary India while remaining true to its roots.
- What advice would you give to someone looking to build a career in kabaddi beyond playing?
My advice is straightforward: work hard, stay patient, and respect the sport. Kabaddi rewards those who are consistent and committed over time. Whether you want to be a coach, manager, physio, analyst, administrator, or entrepreneur, there is no shortcut to credibility.
This ecosystem is still growing, which means opportunities are expanding—but so is competition. Those who invest time in learning, build real on-ground experience, and stay connected to the sport at the grassroots level will stand out in the long run.
Kabaddi is no longer limited to what happens on the mat. For those willing to put in the effort and wait for the right opportunities, the future is full of possibilities.
- Ultimately, what do you want kabaddi in India to become through your platforms?
My long-term vision is for kabaddi to have a structured, end-to-end ecosystem similar to what exists in cricket todayclear pathways from grassroots to the professional level, strong domestic competitions, player welfare systems, and long-term career visibility.
This means organised school and youth competitions, robust domestic leagues, transparent scouting and selection processes, and sustainable professional opportunities not just for players, but for coaches, officials, medical staff, and administrators as well.
Through our platforms, the aim is to help kabaddi evolve from being talent-driven to system-driven. If the right structures are consistently put in place, kabaddi can earn global respect while retaining its Indian identity—growing not just as a sport, but as a credible institution for generations to come.