Warning: Chennai Blitz at work for PVL

Besides PC Hanimi Reddy-owned Blitz, five teams – Calicut Heroes, Kochi Blue Spikers, Ahmedabad Defenders, Hyderabad Black Hawks and Bengaluru Torpedoes – will compete in the first season of the PVL. The League, whose player auction is expected to take place in December, was formally launched in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

“Tamil Nadu is home to a number of great volleyball players. There are a lot of youngsters with huge potential in the state. We share a good relationship with tournament organiser Baseline Ventures and trust its work,” Blitz management member Thulasi Reddy, a former India setter, told DT Next in a telephonic conversation.

“The squad size of the India national team is usually 12. When there is a competition like the PVL, about 80 to 100 players get better exposure and a platform to showcase their talent to the outside world. The domestic players will relish the opportunity of rubbing shoulders with quality foreigners,” said Thulasi Reddy, who sported the Tamil Nadu colours at national events in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

“Impressive performances in the League would lead to more opportunities for players on the work front. The PVL will benefit them financially and make the sport more professional in our country,” Thulasi Reddy went on to add. The Blitz team official stressed that the franchise would make all possible efforts to promote local talent in the PVL.

“There are many good players who come from colleges like SRM, St. Joseph and Panimalar. We will do our best to pick them at the auction,” said Thulasi Reddy. The auction dates and the PVL Season 1 schedule will be announced later.