All posts tagged: Prime Volleyball League

Suraj Chaudhary leads U21 talent with ₹9.5 lakh move to Calicut Heroes

Suraj Chaudhary leads U21 talent with ₹9.5 lakh move to Calicut Heroes

Published by Webster

Shameemudheen emerged as the biggest buy at the Prime Volleyball League Season 5 Player Auction on Monday, with Kochi Blue Spikers securing the blocker for ₹20 lakh. Muhammad Nihal C K was the second-highest buy at ₹19 lakh, while Shon T John and Jasjodh Singh were joint third-highest buys at ₹15.5 lakh each as the league’s 10 franchises strengthened their squads ahead of the new season. The standout story of the auction was the 11 players from the recently concluded Guardians Trophy who earned bids from PVL franchises. Among them, Suraj Chaudhary emerged as the highest-valued player, with the young blocker being picked up by Calicut Heroes for ₹9.5 lakh. Their performances and subsequent selections are a reflection of the abundance of emerging Indian talent and the growing grassroots ecosystem around the sport, with the PVL’s sustained efforts over the last four years helping create a pathway for young players. The 10 franchises were also divided into two pools for Season 5. Pool A comprises Bengaluru Torpedoes, Calicut Heroes, Ahmedabad Defenders, Chennai Blitz and Mumbai …

PVL builds youth pathway for India’s Olympic volleyball dream

PVL builds youth pathway for India’s Olympic volleyball dream

Published by Webster

India’s growing franchise volleyball ecosystem and dedicated Under-21 tournaments are creating a clearer pathway for young players to progress from the grassroots to the professional game and eventually the senior national team, with the ultimate ambition of Olympic qualification. The recently-concluded inaugural Guardians Trophy, organised by Goa Guardians, brought together Under-21 players from across the country, giving them an opportunity to compete at franchise level and showcase their talent to coaches and scouts. Goa Guardians coach Viral Shah believes sustained investment in youth is essential for India’s long-term prospects. “The future of India is in these players. If we don’t give them exposure and teach them at this level, then the future of Indian volleyball will suffer. This is the level where we can work with them and build them,” Shah told PTI. The tournament also exposed youngsters to players from different regions, helping them adapt to different cultures, languages and playing styles. “Players from South, North, East and West are all here. Every culture, behaviour and playing style is different. When they stay together, …

PVL builds youth pathway for India’s Olympic volleyball dream

FIVB recognises PVL as India’s top division volleyball league

Published by Webster

The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), the global body governing volleyball, has officially recognised the Prime Volleyball League (PVL) as India’s first divisional professional league for the sport. This development comes ahead of the league’s fifth season, which is set to begin in November this year. The player auction for the same is slated to be held in Goa on 17 August next month. “FIVB would like to formally acknowledge the Prime Volleyball League (PVL) as 1st Division professional league in India,” read a letter from FIVB to the Volleyball Federation of India’s (VFI) interim body. The letter confirmed that clubs competing in the PVL will be considered eligible to participate in the relevant Central Asian Volleyball Association (CAVA), Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC), and FIVB club competitions. Joy Bhattacharjya, CEO, Prime Volleyball League, said, “From the outset, the aim has been to build a league that delivers both sporting excellence and long-term impact. This recognition reinforces that PVL is not just a tournament, but a platform shaping the future of volleyball in India. It is …

Prime Volleyball League announces player retentions ahead of Season 4

Prime Volleyball League announces player retentions ahead of Season 4

Published by Webster

The countdown to Prime Volleyball League Season 4 has officially begun, with Season 3 MVP Jerome Vinith and a host of star players set to go under the hammer. A total of 20 players have been retained as teams began shaping their squads ahead of the new season. Each team was allowed to retain up to three players before the auction, giving franchises a chance to build strong cores. The Ahmedabad Defenders are banking on the experience of setter Muthusamy Appavu and the dynamic attacker Nandhagopal S while the Bengaluru Torpedoes have locked in their tested trio of attacker Sethu TR, middle blocker Mujeeb MC, and libero Midhunkumar B. The Chennai Blitz will continue to benefit from young universal Dhilip Kumar. Defending champions Calicut Heroes have secured the services of middle blocker Vikas Maan and universal (Opposite Attacker) Ashok Bishnoi. Delhi Toofans have held onto their core with setter Saqlain Tariq, libero Anand K, and attacker Anu James. Hyderabad Black Hawks have solidified their squad by retaining universal Sahil Kumar, middle blocker John Joseph, and …

Calicut Heroes players on cloud nine after lifting maiden PVL trophy

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The Calicut Heroes beat the Delhi Toofans in the final of the third season of the Prime Volleyball League at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium, Chennai on Thursday, to lift their maiden Championship trophy. The Calicut Heroes beat Delhi Toofans 15-13, 15-10, 13-15, 15-12 for its maiden title. Expressing his excitement after lifting the trophy, Jerome Vinith, who plays as an attacker for the Calicut Heroes, and was also adjudged as the Indian Oil MVP for Season 3, said, “This is the most important win for Calicut Heroes and personally for me. I have waited for this opportunity for years and now finally, I have the trophy in my hands. I would say that teamwork and hard work were two key reasons that the Calicut Heroes have won the title.” Middle-blocker Danial Moatazedi, who won the trophy last year with Ahmedabad Defenders, was instrumental in helping the Calicut Heroes lift the trophy this season. He echoed Vinith. “It is amazing as I have won back-to-back titles now with different teams. It is a feeling that …

Rise of the Prime Volleyball League in India

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The Prime Volleyball League (PVL), inaugurated in 2019, is revolutionizing professional volleyball in India. The final match of the third edition, between Delhi Toofans and Calicut Heros is scheduled to begin. In a recent interview with Arshi Yasin, the CEO of The Bridge , Joy Bhattacharjya, the CEO of PVL shed light on the initial hurdles and future of volleyball in India. “The biggest problem,” he stated, “was that volleyball wasn’t shown on Indian TV other than the Asian Games or Olympics.” This lack of visibility meant a dearth of role models to inspire aspiring players. Emphasizing on the core objective of the PVL, Joy said, the goal is to “build heroes in Indian volleyball.” By providing young, talented athletes a chance to compete on a national level, PVL is inspiring a new generation of volleyball enthusiasts and building a devoted fan base. Creating a professional league has its own unique set of difficulties. Funding is one of the most important factors. He compared the PVL’s strategy to that of the Pro Kabaddi League, which …

Prime Volleyball League introduces innovation to enhance fan experience

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The RuPay Prime Volleyball League has taken a giant leap forward in sports broadcast innovation by implementing ground-breaking initiatives that involve equipping team owners and coaches with state-of-the-art heart rate monitors. The move is aimed to revolutionize the fan experience while viewing elite volleyball action. The ongoing third season of the league has already witnessed some spectacular matches with most of them going into deciding sets, keeping the audience at the edge of their seat. With this addition, the fans will also get to see and feel the real emotions that the coaches and team owners go through during the thrilling matches. All of the team owners and coaches have embraced this initiative and have also recognized its potential. The heart rate monitors will track and analyze key metrics such as heart rate variability, recovery time, and stress levels. Speaking about the innovation Joy Bhattacharjya, CEO of RuPay Prime Volleyball League said, “We got innovative rules like Super Point, Super Serve in the league, and now these rules are being used in different leagues around …

In a first, Prime Volleyball League introduces state-of-the-art heart rate monitors

Published by Webster

The Prime Volleyball League (PVL) has taken a giant leap forward in sports broadcast innovation by implementing ground-breaking initiatives that involve equipping team owners and coaches with state-of-the-art heart rate monitors. The move is aimed to revolutionise the fan experience while viewing elite volleyball action. The ongoing third season of the league has already witnessed some spectacular matches with most of them going into deciding sets, keeping the audience at the edge of their seat. With this addition, the fans will also get to see and feel the real emotions that the coaches and team owners go through during the thrilling matches. All of the team owners and coaches have embraced this initiative and have also recognised its potential. The heart rate monitors will track and analyze key metrics such as heart rate variability, recovery time, and stress levels. Speaking about the innovation, Joy Bhattacharjya, CEO of the Prime Volleyball League said, “We got innovative rules like Super Point, Super Serve in the league and now these rules are being used in different leagues around …

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, …