Category: Volleyball

by Abhishek Shukla

PVL:Record Bids and Exciting Squad Compositions at RuPay Prime Volleyball League Auction in Bengaluru

December 7th, 2023: Bengaluru: A total of 504 players went under the hammer at the Sheraton Grande hotel here in Bengaluru as nine franchises bid for the finest volleyball talent in India ahead of the third season of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League.  Representing, the North Belt, Delhi Toofans joined the likes of Ahmedabad Defenders, Kochi Blue Spikers, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Chennai Blitz, Bengaluru Torpedoes, Kolkata Thunderbolts, Mumbai Meteors and Calicut as the newest entrants to the RuPay Prime Volleyball League. At the auctions, attacker Aman Kumar and U21 prospect and setter, Sameer secured record bids to emerge as the most expensive players of the auction with a price tag of Rs 18 Lakh each. Aman Kumar was secured by Kochi Blue Spikers while Sameer went to Chennai Blitz. 

With a purse of Rs 70 Lakh, each franchise had the option to retain their players from the previous season or release them into the auction pool.  The Indian players were slotted divided into four categories, whereas International players were directly drafted into the teams. The categories included: Platinum (Base price: Rs 8 lakh), Gold (Base price: Rs 5 lakh), Silver (Base price: Rs 3 lakh), and Bronze (Base price: Rs 2 lakh). 

Ahmedabad Defenders, who are currently competing at the Men’s Club World Championships as reigning champions of the RuPay Prime Volleyball league, strengthened their squad with the addition of Shikhar Singh (middle blocker) for 16.75 Lakh and once again found Shon T John (attacker) for 11.5 Lakh. The Defenders finished their auction with the purchase of Naveen Raja Jacob (attacker) for Rs 2 Lakh. 

With the largest list of retained players Bengaluru Torpedoes had a comfortable auction as they solely purchased Tanish Chaudhary (attacker) for Rs 5 Lakh 

Calicut Heroes’ first buy of the day was Prince (attacker), bought at Rs 7.8 Lakh. The Heroes also picked up Alan Ashique (libero) at Rs 3 Lakh and Vikas Maan (middle blocker), Aman Kumar (setter) and Praveen Kumar at a price tag of Rs 2 Lakh. 

Chennai Blitz, in a landmark bid, commissioned the services of  U21 player Sameer (setter) from the Gold category, while making the highest bid in auction history at Rs 18 Lakh. R Prabhakaran (libero) and Himanshu Tyagi (attacker) also found their way to the Chennai Blitz at the price of Rs 3 Lakh each. Meanwhile, Suryan Nanjil (setter) was sought by the Blitz for Rs 2.6 Lakh while Joel Benjamin (attacker) joined the squad priced at Rs 2 Lakh. 

Competing in their debut season, the Delhi Toofans were given the option to draft people ahead of the auction. They opened their auction with veteran Rohit Kumar (attacker) at a price of Rs 11.25 Lakh, followed by a successful bid of Rs 3.4 Lakh for Amal K Thomas (attacker). For a middle blocker, the Toofans scooped up Fayis NK at Rs 3 Lakh, and Manoj Kumar came in (universal) at Rs 3 Lakh. 

Hyderabad Black Hawks began their auction with the acquisition of Prince (middle blocker) for Rs 14.75 Lakh and Sahil Kumar (universal) for Rs 10 Lakh. Furthermore, Ashok (attacker) joined the Hyderabad set up for Rs 2 Lakh. 

Kochi Blue Spikers were relentless in their pursuit of Aman Kumar (attacker), roping him in for a record price of Rs 18 Lakh, making him the most expensive buy in the league’s history. Sachin K (middle blocker) joined the squad at Rs 5 Lakh while Jithin N (setter) was bagged for Rs 5.9 Lakh.  The Spiker further strengthened their teams with the addition of Lad Om Vasant (setter) for Rs 6.1 Lakh, Digvijay Singh (middle blocker) for 4.75 Lakh and veteran libero Ratheesh for Rs 2 Lakh.

Kolkata Thunderbolts made their first purchase of the day, with a Rs 7 Lakh bid for Vinayak (setter). The Thunderbolts went on to make investments in Prabhagaran (attacker), Arjun Nath L S (middle blocker), Amit Chokker (attacker) and Deepak Kumar (attacker) for Rs 3 Lakh. However, Kolkata’s biggest purchase was Praful S (middle blocker) for Rs 9.25 Lakh. 

Mumbai Meteors were the most active franchise in the platinum category, obtaining Shubham Chaudhary (universal) for Rs 14 Lakh and Ajith Lal (attacker) for Rs 8.25 Lakh. The Meteors also procured Uttar Pradesh’s Vipul Kumar (setter) for Rs 5.1 Lakh, Suyansh Tomar (attacker) for Rs. 3.2 Lakh and Saurabh Mann for Rs 2 Lakh. 

Joy Bhattacharjya, CEO, RuPay Prime Volleyball League, said, “Much like the previous two editions of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League, we have had yet another thrilling auction. It is always fascinating to see the different strategies each franchise will deploy to strengthen their respective teams and based on the day’s proceedings I am certain that we are in for another riveting season of volleyball.”

Tuhin Mishra, Co-Founder & MD, Baseline Ventures, said, “As we embarked on this journey to empower and promote Indian volleyball, it has been a privilege to watch the league grow year on year. We are elated to welcome the newest franchise, Delhi Toofans and look forward to their inaugural season of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League.  Today’s auction was a thrilling experience and we have been left with very exciting squad compositions.” 

by Abhishek Shukla

Highlights| Halkbank Spor Kulübü vs. Suntory Sunbirds – Pool B| Men’s Club World Championship 23

In an impressive display at the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championship 2023, Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds marked their tournament debut with a decisive victory. Competing in Pool B at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bangalore, the Sunbirds faced off against Turkey’s Halkbank Spor Kulubu. Despite initial challenges, the Japanese team swiftly gained momentum, dominating the match in straight sets with scores of 25-23, 25-23, 25-16. This victory, achieved in just over an hour, not only showcased the Sunbirds’ skill and determination but also earned them three full points, setting a high bar for their participation in the tournament as the first Japanese club to compete in the Club World Championship.

by Abhishek Shukla

Men Volleyball Club World Championship: Ahmedabad Defenders hold head high in loss against Itambe Minas

Bengaluru, Dec 6: Prime Volleyball League champions Ahmedabad Defenders put up a spirited performance in their Men’s Club World Championship debut against the formidable Itambe Minas from Brazil before going down 0-3 in their Pool A clash.
 
The home team, who also became the first Indian club to play in the prestigious competition, took the fight to Minas but the experience in the rank of Minas made the difference in the final analysis as the Brazilian opened their account with a 25-22, 25-23, 25-19 win.
 
Outside hitter Amit Balwan Singh was the highest scorer for the home team with a total of 13 points and was well supported by A Ramaswamy (7), LM Manoj (7) and Ashwal Rai (5) but their effort wasn’t enough to help the team to win at least one set in what was an historic occasion for Indian volleyball.
 
On Wednesday, Bengaluru became only the second Asian city after Doha, Qatar, to host the prestigious Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships and the home side rode on a strong support in the Koramangala Indoor stadium to punch above their weight.
 
Michael Sanchez top scored for Minas with 20 points, that included 17 spikes and two quality blocks. Paulo Silva and Marcus Coelho chipped in with 10 and 9 points respectively.
 
Ahmedabad Defenders, newcomers to the world stage, got a glimpse of the challenge ahead of them when the Minas attackers went for their booming spikes to clinch the first three points. The Indian club found a place on the scoreboard thanks to a service error.
 
A clever spike preceded by a block from Ashwal Rai saw the home team close the gap and the service errors from the Brazilians only gave the Defenders more confidence as they kept pace with their opponents till 10-12.
 
But the experience of Minas team, playing in the competition for the third time, came to the fore thereafter as B Michael Sanchez and Paulo da Silva came in from the wide to score points with cross court spikes. The eventual winners preferred to attack from the back court to create angles to find the winners.
 
The reversal in the opening set only made the Defenders more determined to punch above their weight with Manoj and Amit keeping up the pressure on their opponents by killing the short sets executed by captain A Muthusamy.
The home team stayed neck-and-neck with Minas till 20-20, raising hope of winning a set. But Brazilian international Isac Santos came up with a spike and big serve to open up a two-point advantage for Minas and they maintained that advantage to double their set score.
 
The Defenders had their best passage of play in the match at the start of the third set when they clinched three of the first four points with quality blocks. But this is when Santos proved why he is the star of this Brazilian outfit as he helped the team win seven straight points with quality serves to give his team a 5-11 lead.
 
The home side needed a miracle to force a comeback from this setback. To their credit, they did not throw in the towel and kept fighting. But the likes of Santos, Sanchez and Marcus Cohelo were just too powerful with their spikes from the front and back of the court as they wrapped up the match in three sets and earn three full points.
 
The tournament will go on till 10th of December at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. Ahmedabad Defenders will find themselves in Pool A, facing the defending champions, Sir Sicoma Perugia from Italy, and Brazil’s Minas Tênis Clube (Itambé Minas). In Pool B, Halkbank Spor Kulübü from Turkey, Sada Cruzeiro Volei from Brazil, and Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds are grouped. 
 
The match tickets can be purchased at BookMyShow.   
 
The Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023 will be telecast live in India on Sony Sports Network across Sony Ten 1 & Sony Ten 3 channels and the broadcast will be shown globally on Volleyball World. Fans in India can also stream the tournament online on FanCode.

by Abhishek Shukla

Men’s Volleyball Club world championship: Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds begin campaign with dominating 3-0 win over Turkey’s Halkbank Spor Kulubu 

Bangalore, December 6: Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds came up with a strong overall performance to beat Turkey’s Halkbank Spor Kulubu in straight sets in the opening Pool B encounter of the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championship 2023 at the Koramangala Indoor stadium here on Wednesday. 

Sunbirds, the first Japanese club to participate in the Club World Championship, took time to find their feet against their Turkish opponents but were able to turn the tables midway through the opening set and went on to win 25-23, 25-23, 25-16 in just over an hour to clinch three full points. 

This is the first time that an international volleyball tournament of this stature is being held in India with some of the world’s best players in action over a period of five days. Six teams have been divided into two groups, making every match a must-win encounter to reach the knock-out stage. 

And Sunbirds put themselves in pole position for one of the semi-final spots from Pool B on Wednesday, bagging all three points. According to the tournament format, the winning team gets three points only if they drop one or no sets. 

Such a result for Sunbirds didn’t look possible during the initial exchanges of the opening set with the Turkish side boasting of the likes of Frenchman Earvin Ngapeth and Nimir Abdel-Aziz of Netherlands going on the offensive. 

Despite a couple of service errors, Halkbank looked in control with a four-point advantage at 18-14 before Sunbirds turned the tables with their strong blocking and smart attack from Russian Opposite Dmitriy Muserskiy and outside hitter De Armas Berrio Alain Junior of Cuba. 

Muserskiy, a 2012 Olympic gold medallist, went for the big spikes from the right while Alain Junior came up with smart angles to deceive the opposition blockers. 

With the momentum completely in their favour, Sunbirds began the second game with a lot more confidence and whatever pressure Halkbank would build on them was released thanks to their service errors. 

Overall, the Turkish outfit was guilty of 17 service errors with the captain Nimir making five mistakes in his 13 attempts across three sets. 

In contrast, Sunbirds raised their levels as the match progressed and Alain Junior was definitely the stand out player, scoring a total of 15 points, nine from attack, three from blocks and three on serve including an ace. Muserskiy, one of the tallest player in the volleyball circuit, supported him by clinching a total of 14 points. 

The duo took turns to leave the Turkish defence flummoxed in the third set as Sunbirds clinched seven straight points from 10-10 and left their opponents an uphill task to make a comeback. 

Sunbirds came up with eight block points and three aces in the third set to earn nine match points. Halkbank saved the first but it was not to be there day and a service error Matic Mert meant that the team has very little to show for their day’s effort. 

The tournament will go on till 10th of December at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. Ahmedabad Defenders will find themselves in Pool A, facing the defending champions, Sir Sicoma Perugia from Italy, and Brazil’s Minas Tênis Clube (Itambé Minas). In Pool B, Halkbank Spor Kulübü from Turkey, Sada Cruzeiro Volei from Brazil, and Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds are grouped. 

The match tickets can be purchased at BookMyShow.   

The Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023 will be telecast live in India on Sony Sports Network across Sony Ten 1 & Sony Ten 3 channels and the broadcast will be shown globally on Volleyball World. Fans in India can also stream the tournament online on FanCode.

by Abhishek Shukla

Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships makes historic debut in Bengaluru  

Bengaluru, 5th December 2023: The IT city of Bengaluru is all-set to host the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023. This is the first time in the history of Indian volleyball, that an event of this repute featuring some of the global stars of the game is being held in the country.  

Ahead of the five-day volleyball extravaganza that begins tomorrow at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium, representatives of all six teams and key organizers addressed a press conference at the Renaissance Hotel in Bengaluru.  

Adding to this milestone moment for Indian volleyball is the participation of RuPay Prime Volleyball League Season 2 reigning champions Ahmedabad Defenders, with the Indian stars getting an opportunity to showcase their skills against the best of the world, as they vie for the coveted trophy.

Srajan Shetty, the Karnataka lad who will feature in the Ahmedabad Defenders campaign spoke on the importance of the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships, “It is an immense privilege and matter of pride for us to participate in the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships on home soil. This tournament not only provides us with a golden opportunity play with the best players in the world but also to showcase the true potential of Indian Volleyball.”

Apart from the Ahmedabad Defenders, the marquee competition that will be aired on Sony Sports Network, will feature reigning champions Sir Safety Susa Perugia from Italy, the formidable Brazilian club of Sada Cruzeiro Volei, who are four-time winners of the tournament, Minas Tênis Clube (Ittambe Minas) making their third appearance in the competition, following a fourth-place finish last year. Also debuting this year will be Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds Club, and Turkey’s Halkbank Spor Kulübü.

Sharing his thoughts on his team’s prospects in the tournament, Wilfredo Leon, captain of Sir Safety Susa Perugia, remarked, “We come here with a lot of expectations and a positive energy to retain the title. I have played this tournament many times and to win it again would be huge for our team, especially to win it in India. There are so many big stars at this tournament, and it is a great way to show volleyball is growing not just in Europe and USA but in India as well. I hope this is something future generation can aspire towards.”  

FIVB, Second Executive VP and CEV President, Mr Aleksandar Boricic expressed his delight in bringing the tournament to India, “We are extremely happy to be in India for this tournament. Despite India being such a big country, it has not enough exposure at the highest level of volleyball. I would like to take this opportunity to ask everybody to support this game and its growth in India.”

Tuhin Mishra, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Baseline Ventures also underscored the significance of the competition. He said, “I’d like to extend my gratitude to FIVB for giving us this opportunity. We are truly excited to host this landmark event in India. We will be hosting the title next year as well and this is a great opportunity for our Indian players to go up against the best players in the world and get the exposure they need. It’s a huge achievement for the entire RuPay Prime Volleyball League as well as we have all worked together to achieve this milestone.”

The tournament will commence on the 6th of December at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. Ahmedabad Defenders will find themselves in Pool A, facing the defending champions, Sir Sicoma Perugia from Italy, and Brazil’s Minas Tênis Clube (Itambé Minas). In Pool B, Halkbank Spor Kulübü from Turkey, Sada Cruzeiro Volei from Brazil, and Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds are grouped.

The match tickets are live and can be purchased at BookMyShow.  

Where to Watch

The Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023 will be telecast live in India on Sony Sports Network across Sony Ten 1 & Sony Ten 3 channels and the broadcast will be shown globally on Volleyball World. Fans in India can also stream the tournament online on FanCode.

Full Schedule

The schedule for the Men’s Club World Championship 2023:

6 December:

  • Halkbank Spor vs. Kuldīga at 17:00
  • Ahmedabad Defenders vs. Itambé Minas at 20:30

7 December:

  • Sada Cruzeiro Volei vs. Suntory Sunbirds at 17:00
  • Sir Sicoma Perugia vs. Itambé Minas at 20:30

8 December:

  • Halkbank Spor vs. Sada Cruzeiro Volei at 17:00
  • Ahmedabad Defenders vs Sir Sicoma Perugia at 20:30

9 December:

  • Semifinals – TBD vs. TBD at 17:00 and 20:30

10 December:

  • Final 3-4 – TBD vs. TBD at 17:00
  • Final 1-2 – TBD vs. TBD at 20:30

Please note that all times are IST

by Abhishek Shukla

Indian Legend Tom Joseph Optimistic About India’s Volleyball Future as Ahmedabad Defenders Enter World Stage

Bengaluru, 5th December 2023: The IT city of Bengaluru is all-set to host the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023. This is the first time in the history of Indian volleyball, that an event of this repute featuring some of the global stars of the game is being held in the country.  

Ahead of the five-day volleyball extravaganza that begins tomorrow at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium, representatives of all six teams and key organizers addressed a press conference at the Renaissance Hotel in Bengaluru.  

Adding to this milestone moment for Indian volleyball is the participation of RuPay Prime Volleyball League Season 2 reigning champions Ahmedabad Defenders, with the Indian stars getting an opportunity to showcase their skills against the best of the world, as they vie for the coveted trophy.

Srajan Shetty, the Karnataka lad who will feature in the Ahmedabad Defenders campaign spoke on the importance of the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships, “It is an immense privilege and matter of pride for us to participate in the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships on home soil. This tournament not only provides us with a golden opportunity play with the best players in the world but also to showcase the true potential of Indian Volleyball.”

Apart from the Ahmedabad Defenders, the marquee competition that will be aired on Sony Sports Network, will feature reigning champions Sir Safety Susa Perugia from Italy, the formidable Brazilian club of Sada Cruzeiro Volei, who are four-time winners of the tournament, Minas Tênis Clube (Ittambe Minas) making their third appearance in the competition, following a fourth-place finish last year. Also debuting this year will be Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds Club, and Turkey’s Halkbank Spor Kulübü.

Sharing his thoughts on his team’s prospects in the tournament, Wilfredo Leon, captain of Sir Safety Susa Perugia, remarked, “We come here with a lot of expectations and a positive energy to retain the title. I have played this tournament many times and to win it again would be huge for our team, especially to win it in India. There are so many big stars at this tournament, and it is a great way to show volleyball is growing not just in Europe and USA but in India as well. I hope this is something future generation can aspire towards.”  

FIVB, Second Executive VP and CEV President, Mr Aleksandar Boricic expressed his delight in bringing the tournament to India, “We are extremely happy to be in India for this tournament. Despite India being such a big country, it has not enough exposure at the highest level of volleyball. I would like to take this opportunity to ask everybody to support this game and its growth in India.”

Tuhin Mishra, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Baseline Ventures also underscored the significance of the competition. He said, “I’d like to extend my gratitude to FIVB for giving us this opportunity. We are truly excited to host this landmark event in India. We will be hosting the title next year as well and this is a great opportunity for our Indian players to go up against the best players in the world and get the exposure they need. It’s a huge achievement for the entire RuPay Prime Volleyball League as well as we have all worked together to achieve this milestone.”

The tournament will commence on the 6th of December at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. Ahmedabad Defenders will find themselves in Pool A, facing the defending champions, Sir Sicoma Perugia from Italy, and Brazil’s Minas Tênis Clube (Itambé Minas). In Pool B, Halkbank Spor Kulübü from Turkey, Sada Cruzeiro Volei from Brazil, and Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds are grouped.

The match tickets are live and can be purchased at BookMyShow.  

The Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023 will be telecast live in India on Sony Sports Network across Sony Ten 1 & Sony Ten 3 channels and the broadcast will be shown globally on Volleyball World. Fans in India can also stream the tournament online on FanCode.

by Abhishek Shukla

Ashwal Rai and Muthusamy Appavu Urge Passionate Home Support to Make Their Presence Felt during Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023

Bengaluru, 28th November 2023: In what is a shot in the arm for Indian sports, the country is not only set to participate but also play host to the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023, at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru. With 10 high octane matches set to unfold between 6-10 December, this will be India’s first bow at the highest level as the Ahmedabad Defenders face up against the finest from across the world including, reigning champions, Sir Safety Susa Perugia from Italy, the formidable Brazilian duo of Sada Cruzeiro Volei and Minas Tênis Clube, Japan’s Suntory Sunbirds Club, and Turkey’s Halkbank Spor Kulübü. 

The vibrant and dynamic city of Bengaluru is set to wear a carnivalesque look during the competition, much like when the RuPay Prime Volleyball League had come to town. The Garden City of India has always had an intense love affair with the sport of Volleyball, and the Ahmedabad Defenders will surely have an extra player on their side in terms of the home support.    

India’s best, the Ahmedabad Defenders, stormed into the tournament following a stellar performance which helped them lift the RuPay Prime Volleyball League earlier this year. The Men’s Club World Championships 2023 allows teams to sign players from within their respective domestic leagues, and the Defenders have added bite to their line-up with loan deals for some of the best in the business. Top performers from the other PVL franchises, including former champion and captain of the Kolkata Thunderbolts Ashwal Rai will don the Ahmedabad colours. Co-incidentally, Ashwal is one of the many players in the Defenders’ unit, who turned out for India in the recently concluded successful Asian Games campaign. 

For Ashwal, the local boy from Karnataka, this serves as yet another opportunity to represent India and understandably, he is delighted. Ashwal said, “It is a matter of immense pride for us to represent our country against the world’s best Volleyball players. We are fans of many of these players and it will be an honour to compete with them. This will be round 2 after the Asian Games, and no doubt we want to show them what we can do, and especially with the home support backing us, there is potential for some great contests, and moments that inspire others.”  

Concurring on the thought was, Setter, Muthusamy Appavu, who said, “We will be lucky to have the home advantage and to have our friends and well-wishers support us. I am looking forward to a great atmosphere, much like what we experienced at the Bengaluru leg of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League earlier this year. Bengaluru loves Volleyball, and a well-contested tournament will definitely drive crowds to the stadium, we are sure the fans will come in numbers and boost us up.” 

With one week to go for the Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships 2023, and the fans can avail tickets to come support their favorite players from today. 

The match tickets can be purchased at https://in.bookmyshow.com/special/volleyball-club-world-championship-2023/ET00377346?webview=true starting today. 

The 2023 Men’s Volleyball Club World Championships will be telecast live in India on Sony Sports Network across Sony Ten 1 & Sony Ten 3 channels and the broadcast will be shown globally on Volleyball World.   

by Abhishek Shukla

New dawn for Indian Volleyball with the launch of Prime Volleyball League

Hyderabad, 15 September 2021:  After a two-year hiatus, top level Volleyball action will return to Indian screens with the launch of the Prime Volleyball League.
 
The Prime Volleyball League heralds a dramatic shift from the traditional model of franchise based sports leagues in the country. In line with top international  leagues like the NBA, the league will operate with a model in which franchise owners are also stakeholders in the holding organization of the league. This comes as a welcome step for the franchises, as it offers more value to team owners and investors, and  fosters long term associations and a stable financial structure.
 
The first edition of the Prime Volleyball League will feature six teams, Calicut Heroes, Kochi Blue Spikers, Ahmedabad Defenders, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Chennai Blitz, all franchises previously associated with the volleyball league & a new entrant, the Bengaluru Torpedoes, whose lead owner is Mr. Ankit Nagori, founder of EatFit. The league will be telecast on the Sony Pictures Network and will be exclusively marketed by Baseline Ventures, the leading sports marketing firm in the nation. Fantasy games leaders A23 have signed on as “Powered By” sponsors in a multi-year deal.
 
Speaking about the development, Joy Bhattacharya, CEO, Prime Volleyball League said, “We have already seen the quality of talent in the country; our endeavour is to provide this talent the right kind of platform to grow. This kind of structure, where franchises are committed for the long term gives the game an opportunity to grow in a sustained manner, and that is the best thing possible for Indian volleyball.
 
Speaking on behalf of the franchises,  Mr. Thomas Muthoot of the Muthoot Pappachan Group, owner of Kochi Blue Spikers, said, “Our first association with the sport in 2019 was very successful. We are delighted to continue this association with this new structure that is a win-win for both franchises and the players.”
  
Neville Bastawalla · SVP & Head – Marketing & On Air Promotions, Sports Channels at Sony Pictures Networks India said, “There is a huge appetite for volleyball in India and in fact it was among the most watched sports during the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on our network, even though there was no Indian participation. The success of the league the last time around, combined with the high-octane action of the sport makes the Prime Volleyball League a great addition to the sports portfolio of Sony Pictures Networks India. We are keen to work closely with the stakeholders of the league to build both the league and the sport with viewers in India.”
 
Deepak Gullapalli, CEO Head Digital Works was excited about their association with the league. “Fantasy Sport is growing at a frenetic rate, and we at A23 are always looking to broaden the appeal of sport both within and beyond cricket. Volleyball, with its widespread urban and rural appeal is a huge potential growth area, and our custom designed volleyball fantasy offering will drive a whole new set of consumers to the sport.’
 
The League will shortly be announcing the dates for the auction and the schedule for the coming season of action.
 
In its continuing quest to provide opportunities for both upcoming players and coaching staff, the Prime Volleyball League has also tied up with Piston Des Sports to create a portal for potential players and coaching staff to register and get an opportunity to be a part of the action.

by Abhishek Shukla

Setback to Volleyball Federation of India -Status Quo to be maintained

In a serious setback to the Volleyball Federation of India, the Madras High Court, acting upon the injunction application by Baseline Ventures in Madras High Court, ordered a status quo as of 4th Dec, 2019 and gave two weeks for the two parties to come to an amicable solution. Baseline Ventures is reliably learnt to have already sent a letter to the Executive Committee of VFI asking for time & date for a meeting.

On the 18th of November, VFI had terminated the 10 year agreement with Baseline Ventures at their AGM at Jaipur and announced that they were looking to do their own volleyball league. This Madras High Court order therefore has come as a huge setback to the VFI as they will have to maintain the status quo and will not be able to approach or hold discussions with any franchises, sponsors or broadcasters for the next two weeks as they have to first strive to find a solution with Baseline. VFI had been trying to reach out to the existing franchise owners & almost all of them have shown their reluctance to do anything with VFI.

Sources at Baseline said that the order was a vindication of their stance on the totally unilateral and unjustified termination of the contract by VFI and Baseline were prepared to do whatever was best to take the PVL forward. It is a victory for volleyball lovers and players as the league had excellent reviews and engagement in its very first season in Feb 2019. The first season of the PVL had created a lot of interest in the global volleyball community and the President of the FIVB, Dr Ary Graca had even announced his presence in the final for Season 2 before the VFI had unilaterally terminated the Baseline contract.

by Abhishek Shukla

BSF and Hoysal Sports Club win in Karnataka Volleyball Chamionship

On day 2 of 23rd Karnataka State Senior ‘A’ Division Volleyball championship for men & women held at Kittur Rani Chennamma sports complex, Jayanagar, Bangalore from 15th September to 2nd October 2016, BSF defeated DYES by 3-1. For BSF Gurusharan Singh & Amandeep Singh played well and for DYES Abhishek & Omkar Jadhav did commendable work.

In another match, Hoysal Sports club defeated BSNL by 3-1. For HYSA – Prashanth, Ashwal Rai & Sudeep Shetty did well and for BSNL – Ravikumar & Shravan Rao played good.

 

 

 

by Abhishek Shukla

Karnataka State Senior ‘A’ Division starts from today in Bangalore

23rd Karnataka State Senior ‘A’ Division Volleyball Championship for Men starts from Today (15th September 2016) in Bangalore.  10 teams are participating this year’s championship being played in Kittur Rani Chennamma Stadium, Jayanagar, Bangalore.

The first match will be played between Postal Sports Club and DYES at 4:00 PM followed by 2 more matches on Day 1 in which BSF will take on KSP and ASC will play against Hoysal Sports Club.

by Abhishek Shukla

Indian boys lost to Lebanon in FIBA Asia U18 Championship quarterfinals

Indian  boys lost to higher ranked Lebanon in quarterfinal by 98-67 in FIBA Asia U18 Championship being played in Tehran, Iran. India started well and after Q1 India was trailing by just 2 points and the score was 21-23 in favor of Lebanon. In Q2 Lebanon played 1 sided game and India just managed 9 points against 26 points.

In Q3 Indian boys managed to give fight and it was really very close 20-21 in favor of Lebanon. In last quarter Lebanon finished in style by 28-17 points.

For India G. Bneny score 19 points and Vishal Gupta had most rebounds 9. Vishal Gupta is most effective player for India as he scored 9 points, 9 rebounds and 4 excellent steels.

India will play Chinese Taipei tomorrow for 5-8 classification round. 

by Abhishek Shukla

Indian U19 Girls lost to Vietnam in qualification second round in Asian Volleyball

Indian U19 Girls lost to Vietnam in last match of second qualification round by 3-1 (25-22, 23-25, 25-21, 25-15 ) in Asian Women U19 Volleyball Championship Indian team started well and gave tough fight in first set which ultimately went to Vietnam 25-22. In second round Indian girls dominated and won the set by 25-23. In third set Kazakhstan bounced back and won by 25-21 to get 2-1 lead in 3 sets. In fourth set India girls lost control of match and lost 25-15 against re-energized Vietnam girls.

Earlier India lost against Thailand (3-0) in second qualification round. Now Indian girls will face mighty China in Quarterfinal match on 29th July 2016.