The second edition of Prime Volleyball League (PVL) is set to begin its final leg in Kochi starting on Friday. The tournament, which began on February 4, has seen 20 matches played across Bengaluru and Hyderabad and is now ready to thrill fans in Kerala.
In the first game of the Kochi leg, Calicut Heroes will face off against Chennai Blitz at the Regional Sports Centre (Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium).
PVL CEO Joy Bhattacharjya said, “This is the best volleyball that is happening in the country right now, and the kind of response that we have received from the spectators is a testament to that. We are eager to begin the Kochi leg to showcase to the fans here the level of competition that is happening in the country. We hope the fans turn up in large numbers to enjoy the league.”
Speaking on the popularity of volleyball in Kerala, Calicut Heroes co-owner Safeer PT added, “We have seen the level of investment the fans have shown this season, especially for the Calicut team. Fans have shown up in large numbers to different cities and have to show their support. We are confident of seeing a similar response from the fans here in Kerala and we are thrilled for the opportunity to show fans what we are capable of.”
Kochi Blue Spikers owner Thomas Muthoot lauded PVL for providing Indian players with a platform.
“We are grateful to the Prime Volleyball League for giving the volleyball talent, not only from Kerala but from all over India, to showcase their talent globally. We have always had talented players in our country and all we needed was the right push. The league is doing that for our players and I am confident soon, India will be among the top volleyball nations.”
Calicut Heroes attacker Ashwin Raj said that he is eager to show what his team can do after facing its first defeat in the tournament.
“We are excited to play in front of the fans in our home state. Kerala has always been big on volleyball and we truly want to show what we are capable of after facing our defeat against Ahmedabad Defenders this season. We will give Chennai a good fight.”
Chennai Blitz blocker Akhin GS said, “We still believe we can get wins in the tournament. We have a good quality of players in our team and while Calicut are a strong team and will enjoy home crowd support, we are equally capable of potentially causing an upset.”
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