New volleyball league to boost the game in the country

The teams Calicut Heroes, Kochi Blue Spikers, Ahmadabad Defenders, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Chennai Blitz, which were part of now-defunct Pro Volleyball League held for a season in 2019

Hyderabad: Volleyball in the country is set for a big lift as a new franchise–based league Prime Volleyball League, with six teams, was announced in the city on Wednesday.

The teams Calicut Heroes, Kochi Blue Spikers, Ahmadabad Defenders, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Chennai Blitz, which were part of now-defunct Pro Volleyball League held for a season in 2019, were joined by Bengaluru Torpedoes for this inaugural season. The auctions and the dates of the event will be revealed later. If everything goes according to plan, the league is likely to be held in February next year.

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Joy Bhattacharya, the CEO of the league, said that the league is a milestone in Indian sports as it is being launched on the lines of successful leagues like NBA. “For the first time, all the franchises will be made stakeholders in the league. This will ensure stability of the league. Both Indian and international players will be seen in action. We started the Pro Volleyball League in 2019 and due to various reasons like Covid-19, the league could not continue. But this is a new start. The game enjoys a huge patronage in the country and there is immense talent in the country,” he said.

The tournament, which will be played in round robin format, will be telecast by Sony Pictures Networks and Sony Liv mobile application.