Kerala has always been big on volleyball, says Calicut Heroes owner ahead of home leg

The Spikers are the bottom of the Prime Volleyball League points standings.

The excitement among the people of Kochi is palpable as the Prime Volleyball League (PVL) 2023 is set to begin its final leg in the city starting on Friday. The tournament, which began on February 4th has already seen 20 unforgettable matches across Bengaluru and Hyderabad and is now ready to give the volleyball fans in Kerala a taste of the thrilling sporting action. In the first game of the Kochi leg, Calicut Heroes will face off against Chennai Blitz at the Regional Sports Centre (Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium).

Before the intense bout, the Prime Volleyball League CEO Mr. Joy Bhattacharjya, Kochi Blue Spikers owner Mr. Thomas Muthoot, and Calicut Heroes co-owner Mr. Safeer PT, along with Kochi Blue Spikers attacker Erin Varghese, Calicut Heroes attacker Ashwin Raj, Chennai Blitz Blocker Akhin GS, Hyderabad Black Hawks Blocker John Joseph, Ahmedabad Defenders Captain Muthusamy Appavu, Bengaluru Torpedoes Universal Ibin Jose, Kolkata Thunderbolts Setter Janshad and Mumbai Meteors libero Ratheesh addressed a press conference on Thursday afternoon at the Kochi Marriot Hotel.

Addressing the atmosphere seen in the previous two legs, Mr. Bhattacharjya said, "This is the best volleyball that is happening in the country right now, and the kind of response that we have received from the spectators is a testament to that. We are eager to begin the Kochi leg to showcase to the fans here the level of competition that is happening in the country. We hope the fans turn up in large numbers to enjoy the league."

Speaking on the popularity of volleyball among the fans in Kerala, Calicut Heroes co-owner Mr. Safeer PT added, "We have seen the level of investment the fans have shown this season, especially for the Calicut team. Fans have shown up in large numbers to different cities and have to show their support. We are confident of seeing a similar response from the fans here in Kerala and we are thrilled for the opportunity to show fans what we are capable of."

Kochi Blue Spikers owner Mr. Thomas Muthoot further praised the Prime Volleyball League for giving the Indian stars a true platform for making a difference in the sport. "We are grateful to the Prime Volleyball League for giving the volleyball talent, not only from Kerala but from all over India, to showcase their talent globally. We have always had talented players in our country and all we needed was the right push. The league is doing that for our players and I am confident soon, India will be among the top volleyball nations."

Meanwhile, Calicut Heroes attacker Ashwin Raj spoke on his team's upcoming contests and said that he is eager to showcase what his team can do after facing their first defeat in the tournament. "We are excited to play in front of the fans in our home state. Kerala has always been big on volleyball and we truly want to show what we are capable of after facing our defeat against Ahmedabad Defenders this season. We will give Chennai a good fight."

Chennai Blitz blocker Akhin GS, who has been in good form this season, further said, "We still believe we can get wins in the tournament. We have a good quality of players in our team and while Calicut are a strong team and will enjoy home crowd support, we are equally capable of potentially causing an upset."