All posts tagged: Kolkata Thunderbolts

Kolkata Thunderbolts register dominant win over Mumbai Meteors

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Former champions and last year’s semi-finalists, Kolkata Thunderbolts finished their campaign in the third season of the Prime Volleyball League, with an emphatic win at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai on Thursday. They clinched a comfortable victory (15-12, 16-14, 15-11) over the Mumbai Meteors. Prabagaran was named the Player of the Match for his sensational 11 points. The match saw Prabagaran blocking well for Kolkata. Prabagaran started firing from Zone 4 and helped the Thunderbolts maintain balance. Vinit Kumar helped the Thunderbolts get the Super Point and take the lead. Kolkata faced a bit of resistance from Shubham’s super serve which turned momentum in favour of Mumbai. Rakesh’s all-round showing helped the Thunderbolts regain their momentum, and Mumbai found themselves on the backfoot. Aditya Rana’s blocks helped Mumbai, as he began blocking Vinit’s attempts. However, Kolkata Thunderbolts Captain Ashwal Rai’s attacks helped the Thunderbolts seal another super point, and a tactical review call helped Kolkata take control of the game. Prabagaran’s spikes kept pushing the Thunderbolts while unforced errors hurt Mumbai. Amit’s incessant attacks …

Cukur’s story of balancing volleyball and education

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Onur Cukur, a setter for Kolkata Thunderbolts in the ongoing third season of the Prime Volleyball League, has garnered a lot of fan-following because of his impressive showing on the court. The Turkish volleyball star, who hails from Izmir, has represented several European clubs throughout his career, including Galatasaray HDI Sigorta, and has also represented the Turkish national team.But despite his travels across the world, he lights up when talking about his time at home. “Izmir is a city I holds dear to me. All my family is there, I still try to spend my summers every year with my family and I miss them dearly, when I am traveling for studies or abroad.” He explained about his home city . Onur began his volleyball career in Turkey at a young age of 9. His early exposure to the sport was influenced by his mother, who herself was a former player. Despite being pushed to the sport initially, his passion for the game only grew, leading him to play professionally in Turkey, the United States, …

Kolkata Thunderbolts fall short against Delhi Toofans

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Kolkata: Season 1 champions Kolkata Thunderbolts went down against Delhi Toofans with a score line of 9-15, 14-16 and 15-17 in the third season of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai. Santhosh was named the Player of the Match. Facing a threat from Ashwal Rai and Vinit Kumar, Saqlain went to his trusted middle Danial Aponza. But Vinit’s incessant swings kept Kolkata on Delhi’s tail till Lazar Dodic’s spikes helped the Toofans take the early lead. Anu James’ statement-making spike and the following super serve showed Delhi’s attacking options. But Vinit’s towering presence did not allow Delhi defenders any respite. Arjun Nath-led two-man block provided Kolkata venom in the defence. Amit’s involvement in attacks gave Kolkata more options, but Aayush’s monstrous block helped Delhi in putting a halt and the Toofans took control. Santhosh kept attacking for Delhi but super serves from Deepak Kumar and Amit gave Kolkata a shot in the arm, reigniting hopes of a comeback. Ashwal Rai’s spikes from the middle helped the …

Kolkata Thunderbolts march on with dominant win over Hyderabad BlackHawks

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Kolkata Thunderbolts picked up their second win on Thursday, going past the Hyderabad BlackHawks with a dominant 15-8, 15-8, 11-15, 20-18 win in the third season of the Prime Volleyball League powered at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai. Vinit Kumar was named the Player of the Match. Stefan Kovacevic fired from the middle for Hyderabad early on. But Vinit shook up Hawks’ defence with aggressive serves. Onur Cukur kept setting up attackers with impeccable passing, and the Thunderbolts took charge. Ashwal Rai joined the action keeping Kolkata on the right path, while Hemanth and Stefan earned crucial points to showcase Hyderabad’s resistance. The Hawks missed Ivan Jose as Sahil Kumar, who received his first start, struggled to get going. David Kisiel made useful contributions in attack and defence, and the Thunderbolts took control. Ashamat Ullah and Sahil started finding their rhythm with attacks as the Hawks showed moments of resurgence. Prince, too, made solid blocks to tackle Vinit’s threat from the middle. Despite Ashwal’s clever blocks, Hyderabad got back into the contest with Stefan’s …

Born is USA, rising in Europe and now finding ‘joy’ in India

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David Kisiel’s soft-spoken persona is hard to miss, even at first glance. The sense of self-consciousness he feels is evident when he talks about himself. But ask him about what kind of impact volleyball has had in his life and his journey in the sport, and his eyes light up. David is part of the Kolkata Thunderbolts franchise where he plays as an attacker in the ongoing Season 3 of RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23 in Chennai. David’s introduction to volleyball was purely accidental. Starting his sporting career with basketball from the age of 5, he received his introduction to the sport after his twin sister Natalie, asked him to play as a substitute in a match with her. “It was a co-ed team. I joined their practice and I had a good time out there. That was my first introduction to the sport. After that, I started attending more volleyball camps. I started playing in high school and then joined a club team. After that, I got recruited to play at a …

Kolkata Thunderbolts defeat Kochi Blue Spikers, register first win

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Season 1 champions Kolkata Thunderbolts found their rhythm as they registered their first win in the third season of the RuPay Prime Volleyball defeating the Kochi Blue Spikers 16-14, 15-13, 11-15, 15-5 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai on Tuesday. Vinit Kumar was named the Player of the Match for his outstanding performance. Amit and Vinit helped Kolkata take early advantage with spikes. Jan Krol and Aman Kumar’s attacks kept Kochi at par, while Abhinav posed a challenge for Kolkata attackers in the middle. But Vinit’s efficiency in attacks and Ashwal Kumar’s smart play from the middle helped the Thunderbolts move ahead. The Kolkata players showed great intent and meant business against the Kochi Blue Spikers. The players were more focused, and determined and gave their everything for every point. Ashwal led from the front and showed great leadership. Onur Cukur became a solid presence on Kolkata’s end, as he kept spreading his passes around. Sudheer Shetty’s blocks shackled Kochi’s attacks, causing the Blues to commit unforced errors. Athos showed moments of brilliance but …

Kolkata Thunderbolts go down against Calicut Heroes

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Kolkata Thunderbolts went down against Calicut Heroes in the third season of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23, with a scoreline of 14-16, 8-15 and 5-15 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai on Sunday. Jerome Vinith was named the Player of the Match. Onur Cukur’s clever taps helped Kolkata, but Jerome’s vicious serves presented a challenge for the Season 1 Champions Kolkata Thunderbolts. Chirag Yadav and Luiz Perotto helped Calicut in attacks, but Vinit Kumar’s spikes kept the game in balance. Ashwal’s super serve pushed Kolkata ahead, but Calicut won the super point and took the lead. The game turned into a battle of Vinith vs Vinit, as both teams played to their attacking best. Chirag put Calicut in complete control with aggressive play from the service line. Middle blockers Vikaas Maan and Danial Moatazedi defended well to shackle Kolkata attackers. Ukkra’s clever passing kept the attackers fresh as Calicut maintained their dominance. As Ukkra earned a super serve with a floater, the Thunderbolts looked out of ideas. Chirag dominated with his …

Kolkata Thunderbolts fall short against Chennai Blitz in five-set thriller

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Kolkata Thunderbolts went down fighting against Chennai Blitz in a five-set thrilling match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai on Thursday at the Prime Volleyball League. Raman Kumar delivered a top performance against the former champions with 14 attack points and named as the Player of the Match to secure a five-set (14-16,21-20, 15-5, 17-19, 15-8) win for his club. The match started with Sudheer Shetty went toe-to-toe with Akhin GS with the battle of the middles. Vinit Kumar from Zone 2 attacked well, while Ashwal Rai dominated from the middle for the Thunderbolts. But Chennai’s Raman’s offensive moves kept the game in balance. With Vinit’s powerful spike, the Thunderbolts edged just ahead in the intensely-close battle. Kolkata started benefiting from Prabhakaran’s aggressive play, but the in-form Dhilip Kumar kept Blitz on the Thunderbolts’ toes. The duo of Ashwal and Vinit became a hard puzzle for Chennai to crack, but a crucial super point win changed their fortunes. Sameer’s quick thinking brought the Chennai back into the contest. Raman’s powerful spikes started threatening Kolkata …

Kolkata Thunderbolts go down against Ahmedabad Defenders in straight sets

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Kolkata: Season 1 winners Kolkata Thunderbolts went down against Ahmedabad Defenders in the battle of Champions on Sunday, with a scoreline of 13-15, 9-15 and 6-15 in the third season of RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium. Nandhagopal was named the Player of the match. Muthusamy led his side with solid passing, and Max Senica and Nandha contributed with solid spikes to give the Defenders a strong start. With Vinit’s consistent attacks on the lines, Kolkata played to their strengths to keep the game in balance. Including middle blocker Ashwal Rai, Kolkata tried to inch ahead. But a couple of unforced errors from Thunderbolts, and a powerful smash from Angamuthu allowed Ahmedabad to get in front. Muthu’s passing only kept improving as the game progressed as he kept providing plenty of attacking options to his side. The pipe attacks from Nandha only added more pressure on Kolkata. Onur Cukur’s aggressive passing presented a challenge for Defenders, but middle blocker LM Manoj took responsibility on him to close down …

‘For us, every match is final,’ says Kolkata Thunderbolts coach Rahman Mohammadrad

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Kolkata Thunderbolts suffered a loss in their opening match of the Prime Volleyball League 2024 as Bengaluru Torpedoes beat them 16-14, 14-16, 15-13, 15-10 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Thursday. After the defeat, Thunderbolts coach Rahman Mohammadrad said, “During pre-season camp in Mysore, all the players in the squad trained exceptionally well so keeping that in mind, I expected a bit more from the team. However, I believe my team has potential to be the best from what I saw yesterday. They have the fighting spirit and the motivation to win match. They just need to be focused.” Kolkata Thunderbolts will play reigning champions Ahmedabad Defenders in their next match. The Defenders have registered a sensational win against Chennai Blitz in their opening match. Asked how he plans to approach this game, Mohammadrad said, “All nine teams in the league are really good and have enough power to become the champions. We cannot take any match lightly, so for us every match is like a final and we will plan for …