MUMBAI: The owner of the Mumbai franchise of the ongoing Zee Maharashtra Kushti Dangal (ZMKD), has been unable to meet the financial obligations towards his team’s players and technicians, ZEEL has said in a statement.
Pranav Rajesh Dake, the Mumbai Astra team owner, had signed a term sheet for the maiden season of the ongoing Zee Maharashtra Kushti Dangal but failed to honor the agreement. The Mumbai team however continues to be a part of ZMKD and would be participating in the ongoing championship, ZEEL further stated.
Conceptualised by Zee Talkies, Zee Maharashtra Kushti Dangal is a franchise-based format of wrestling. The stated aim of the initiative was to give the sport an unprecedented platform, akin to the exposure kabbadi got from Star India’s ownership of the Pro Kabaddi League.
Inaugurated by Sharad Pawar, head – Maharashtra Kusti Parishad and Amit Goenka, ZEEL CEO – International Broadcast Business, ZMKD had secured support from celebrities like Sai Tamhankar, Nagraj Manjule, Swapnil Joshi, Sonali Kulkarni, Akash Thosar, Tanaji Galgunde, Salim Shaikh, Mansi Naik, Deepali Sayyed, Surekha Punekar, and Siddharth Bodke.
Besides, Mumbai Astra, the other five participating teams in this wrestling championship include Veer Marathwada (owner Nagraj Manjule), Kolhapuri Mavale (Sai Tamhankar), Vidharbhache Wagh (Swapnil Joshi), Yashwant Satara (Purushottam Jadhav), Puneri Ustad (Shantaram Manave and Paritosh Painter).
