Narwal smashes all-time Pro Kabaddi League record, sold to 'UP Yoddha' for Rs 1.65 cr
Mumbai, (PTI): Talismanic raider Pardeep Narwal smashed an all-time record by becoming the highest-ever bought kabaddi player in the history of the Pro Kabaddi League (PKL), after being bought by the 'UP Yoddha' for Rs 1.65 crore.
The 'UP Yoddha' bought Narwal on Monday, the second day of the PKL auction for the upcoming season 8, which will take place in December.
Pardeep continues to re-write history books, with his price tag now quashing that of another star raider Monu Goyat, who was bought by the 'Haryana Steelers' for Rs 1.51 crore in Season 6, stated a media release issued by the PKL late Monday night.
Narwal now finds himself a new home after spending five seasons with the 'Patna Pirates'.
Meanwhile, Siddharth Desai was retained by the 'Telugu Titans' via the Final Bid Match (FBM) card for Rs 1.30 crore from his base price of Rs 30 lakh.
More than 22 overseas players were sold on the second day.
All-rounder Mohammadreza Shadloui Chiyaneh (base price Rs 10 lakh), was sold to the 'Patna Pirates' for Rs 31 lakh, while the 'Bengal Warriors' bought defender Abozar Mohajermighani, bidding for him at Rs 30.5 lakh from the base price of Rs 20 lakh.
The 'Patna Pirates' used their FBM card to retain South Korean raider Jang Kun Lee at Rs 20.5 lakh, the release said.
After spending six seasons with the 'Telugu Titans' and one season with 'Tamil Thalaivas', Rahul Chaudhari will now play for the 'Puneri Paltans'.
The 'Jaipur Pink Panthers' used both the FBM cards to retain captain Deepak Niwas Hooda and Sandeep Kumar Dhull.
The 'Tamil Thalaivas' bid for raider Manjeet from his base price of Rs 30 lakh and bought him in for Rs 92 lakh.
Meanwhile, all-rounder Rohit Gulia grabbed eyeballs after he was sold to the 'Haryana Steelers' for Rs 83 lakh, a significant jump from his Rs 25-lakh price tag with the 'Gujarat Giants' in Season 7.
Kabaddi is such an elementary game in terms of infrastructure required, that I have no doubt that once we get our act together, the explosion of kabaddi internationally is just waiting to happen, Charu Sharma, co-founder of Mashal Sports, was quoted as saying in the release.
Top 5 Indian players: Pardeep Narwal Rs 1.65 crore -- UP Yoddha
Siddharth Desai Rs 1.30 crore -- Telugu Titans
Manjeet Rs 92 lakh -- Tamil Thalaivas
Sachin Rs 84 lakh -- Patna Pirates
Rohit Gulia Rs 83 lakh -- Haryana Steelers.
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South African police arrest suspect in mass shooting that killed 12, including 3 children
Johannesburg (AP): A 32-year-old suspect has been arrested in connection with a mass shooting which claimed the lives of 12 people including three children at an unlicensed pub earlier this month, South African police said on Monday.
The man is suspected of being one of the three people who opened fire on patrons in a pub at Saulsville township, west of South Africa's capital Pretoria, killing 12 people including three children aged 3, 12 and 16.
At least 13 people were also injured during the attack, whose motive remains unknown.
According to the police, the suspect was arrested on Sunday while traveling to Botlokwa in Limpopo province, more than 340 km from where the mass shooting took place on Dec 6.
An unlicensed firearm believed to have been used during the attack was recovered from the suspect's vehicle.
“The 32-year-old suspect was intercepted by Limpopo Tracking Team on the R101 Road in Westenburg precinct. During the arrest, the team recovered an unlicensed firearm, a hand gun, believed to have been used in the commission of the multiple murders. The firearm will be taken to the Forensic Science Laboratory for ballistic analysis,” police said in statement.
The suspect was arrested on the same day that another mass shooting at a pub took place in the Bekkersdal township, west of Johannesburg, in which nine people were killed and 10 wounded when unknown gunmen opened fire on patrons.
Police have since launched a search for the suspects.
South Africa has one of the highest homicide rates in the world and recorded more than 26,000 homicides in 2024 — an average of more than 70 a day. Firearms are by far the leading cause of death in homicides.
The country of 62 million people has relatively strict gun ownership laws, but many killings are committed with illegal guns, according to authorities.
According to police, mass shootings at unlicensed bars are becoming a serious problem. Police shut down more than 11,000 illegal taverns between April and September this year and arrested more than 18,000 people for involvement in illegal liquor sales.
