Pune, May 13 (IANS): New Kabaddi Federation of India (NKFI) General Secretary MV Prasad Babu declared the inaugural edition of the Indo-International Premier Kabaddi League (IIPKL) open at a glittering ceremony at the Shree Chhatrapati Shivaji Sports Complex, here on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, Prasad said: "This is an unforgettable moment for Kabaddi lovers as the league now officially opens. It is going to be a huge platform for young talents who want to do big in this rural game of our country."

Alongwith NKFI senior administrators, several World Kabaddi federation officials were present at the ceremony.

The first match of the tournament will see home side Pune Pride locking horns with Haryana Heroes. For the next one week, the stadium will play host to 20 more games before the IIPKL caravan proceeds to Mysore and then to Bengaluru for the final leg.

Eight teams representing eight different regions of India will be seen vying for a winner's cheque of Rs 1.25 crore in the league which is spread across three legs. The new league promoted by the New Kabaddi Federation (NKF) will be broadcast live on DSport along with a Hindi broadcast on MTV and MTV HD+.

Bollywood star Kainaat Arora, reality show India's Got Talent stars and Michael Jackson-inspired dance group MJ5 added glitz and glamour to the opening ceremony of the league.