Prime Volleyball League demands extreme levels of alertness, says referee Ilias Shameem

Shameem, who has the FIVB Referees Badge, compares PVL to the T-20 format in cricket and having played junior grade volleyball

Hyderabad: It is one of those striking ironies that the Prime Volleyball League at the Gachibowli Stadium in the City is on without a single player from Telangana representing any of the franchises!

But, for the 53-year-old M. Ilias Shameem, the enterprising and articulate referee, it continues to be a huge platform as he got another chance to do his job with the same ease, which has earned him some important assignments before, like the Asian championships in different categories, including the 2011 Asian senior championship, Asian Sea Games in Indonesia.

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“Yes, the PVL is a different kind of experience and definitely challenging given the format and the high-profile nature of the franchises,” says Shameem in a chat with ‘Telangana Today’.

“Yes, the PVL demands extreme levels of alertness and quick responses as the game is too fast-paced. But, great experience for sure,” he said.

Shameem, who has the FIVB Referees Badge, compares PVL to the T-20 format in cricket and having played junior grade volleyball, he is the Physical Director at Methodist College of Engineering admits that the ‘Review’ system is a great relief as it means less pressure. “The fact that mistakes which creep in inadvertently can be corrected is a welcome feature. Not that we tend to relax, but it is a huge plus psychologically,” he said.

For someone who was rated as the best second referee in the 2001 Asian Seniors in Tehran, Shameem is really glad that the volleyball fraternity across 120 countries is following the PVL and hence everyone involved in the match is closely observed.

“I owe a lot to my brother and former volleyballer Ilias Shareef (working in CCMB),, senior referee Syed Athar Raza and my fellow umpires, including the seniors like Mohan Rao, for being so supportive right through my career,” Shameem said.

“Yes, it would be great to see at least a couple of players from our State in the PVL. Hopefully, that will happen soon,” he signed off.