Prime Volleyball League: Defending champion Ahmedabad takes on Chennai in first match

CHENNAI: With the third season of RuPay Prime Volleyball League set to begin, all the captains of the nine franchises came face to face in a pre-season press conference at the Taj Club House in Chennai on Wednesday.

The defending Champions Ahmedabad Defenders will face off against the hosts Chennai Blitz in the opening clash on Thursday, while last season’s runners-up Bengaluru Torpedoes will take on the Season 1 winners Kolkata Thunderbolts on the first day of the tournament.

Speaking at the press conference, Ahmedabad Defenders skipper Muthusamy Appavu made the intentions clear that the franchise will be gunning to make it two titles in a row. “There is always pressure when you enter the tournament as the defending Champions. It puts a target on your back. But it also motivates the players in equal measure and we are eager to showcase our skills once again. We have a new coach, the vastly experienced Dragan Mihailovic, and we have had a tremendous pre-season. Now it is all about the execution of our plans.”

Meanwhile, the Chennai skipper Akhin GS said his side will have an advantage with the home crowd support and will rely on the noise from the fans. “The coach of the previous season’s winner Dakshinamoorthy has been a major boost for us this season. We feel confident that we are on the right track entering the first game. We also expect a lot of support from the home crowd and we expect them to pack the stands in huge numbers and make their voices heard.”

Meanwhile, Calicut Heroes announced Jerome Vinith as the skipper for the season, while Hyderabad Black Hawks named the veteran Ranjit Singh as the Captain. Kochi Blue Spikers handed over Captaincy to Jithin N, Mumbai Meteors named Hardeep Singh as Captain, and the new franchise Delhi Toofans picked Saqlain Tariq to lead the franchise in Season. 3

Addressing the media at the press conference, Tuhin Mishra, Managing Director, Co-Founder at Baseline Ventures said, “We are delighted to come to Chennai and showcase another exciting edition of Prime Volleyball League. The fans here have been clamouring to have home games and we have some of the best talents, not just from India, but from all over the world.”