Prime Volleyball League Season 2 inaugurated in Bengaluru

PVL Season 2 kicks off in Bengaluru as defending Champions Kolkata Thunderbolts gear up to face hosts Bengaluru Torpedoes

The team captains along with tournament organizers addressed a press conference on Friday at the Renaissance Hotel in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Amid the widespread craze among the fans to witness live volleyball action in the city, RuPay PVL CEO Mr. Joy Bhattacharjya spoke on the massive success the tournament has witnessed since the culmination of the first season.

Joy Bhattacharjya's thoughts on sustaining the sport's popularity

"It’s a very special occasion for us as we begin our second season after a tremendous first season. The league has increased in every way possible. We have Mumbai Meteors joining the pool of teams this year. We have partnered with International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) as well. The Volleyball Club World Cup is set to come to India and the stakes are exponentially higher this season as the winners will get to play in the tournament.

"We have truly upped the game, and the quality is much better this season. We are set to go for a cracking season and this will be the best volleyball ever seen in India," Mr. Joy Bhattacharjya asserted.

Tuhin Mishra confirms plans for a women's league and a team from North India

This time, the Prime Volleyball League will be spread across three cities - Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kochi, with the final to be played on March 5th in Kochi. Addressing the future plans to sustain the popularity of the sport, Tuhin Mishra, Managing Director & Co-Founder, Baseline Ventures and Co-Promoter of RuPay Prime Volleyball League said, "We can expect a women's league in the future. Our target is to establish the men's league for the next few years. In the meantime, we are searching for a good basket of women with a group of 70-100 players to form a core group of players. We are planning to expand our league across the Northern region as well and there are discussions to bring in a team from North India sooner, rather than later."

The Bengaluru leg begins with a blockbuster clash

Season 2 of RuPay Prime Volleyball League will see its first match on February 4th with the defending champions Kolkata Thunderbolts facing off against the hosts Bengaluru Torpedoes in what promises to be a cracking contest.

Thunderbolts Captain Ashwal Rai, who led the team to the trophy in the first season, spoke on the upcoming encounter and said, "We are ready to face our opponents. We have trained well and we know the players well who are present in the opposition team. There is no pressure of being defending champions, but it feels like a privilege. And we will hope to perform like the Champions."

Bengaluru Torpedoes Captain Pankaj Sharma also spoke on the upcoming match and said that the presence of the home crowd will give a major boost to his team in the match, "We have worked hard in the training sessions. We are the home team and we are confident the presence of fans in Bengaluru will help us go past a tough team like Kolkata Thunderbolts. We hope to get off the mark in a good way."