Ultimate Karate League shifted to Lucknow, to be hosted in December

The Ultimate Karate League (UKL), which was earlier scheduled to be held in Mumbai, has been shifted to Lucknow and is to be staged from December 3 to December 12 at the Babu Banarsi Das Badminton Academy in the state capital. The announcement was made on Sunday at a press conference addressed jointly by Indian Professional Karate Council (IPKC) Chairman Sensei Rajeev Sinha, Petr Suja (Director, World Body) and Observer Jiri Kocandrle.

Sinha said Uttar Pradesh has seen significant changes over the past few years and Lucknow is fast emerging as a major sports hub with substantial support from the government and this was what influenced the decision of shifting the event.

He informed that while all the combat sports have individual matches, UKL is a unique match format that has changed the individual sport into a team sport where one player is pitched against three opponents. There are three sets, each featuring 9 bouts. The three sets are completed in 45 minutes that includes slow-motion and commercial breaks. Only a knockdown by a combination of techniques enables a team to register a score.

Story continues below this ad

Each team consists of six players, five men and one woman. In the event of an equalizer, the women’s individual match decides the final result.

The teams this year are UP Rebels, Delhi Bravehearts, Mumbai Ninjas, Punjabi Fighters, Bengaluru Kings and Pune Samurai.