MUMBAI: Volleyball has now joined India’s burgeoning landscape of sports leagues. Pro Volleyball League (PVL) and its six teams were officially unveiled on Monday in Mumbai, in the presence of International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) director (Asia) Luis Alexander.
It is a new lease of life for the sport in India, one that has been in the grip of administrative limbo for the past two years. Volleyball already has mass appeal — especially in the southern part of India — and PVL will be hoping to tap into that. Kerala is seen as volleyball’s biggest hub in the country, and the state will be represented by two teams: Calicut Heroes and Kochi Blue Spikers. Chennai Spartans, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Ahmedabad Defenders and U Mumba Volley are the other teams.
The league will be held in Chennai and Kochi from February 2 to 22 next year. In the inaugural year, the teams will have a modest `75 lakh to spend on players. Each will be comprised of 12 players, including one Indian, two foreigners and two U-21 players. An auction will be held on December 13 and 14, but foreign players will be picked up via a draft. Teams will play each other once in the league format, and the top four progress to the semifinal.
“The first year will mainly be about creating awareness,” said PVL CEO Joy Bhattacharya. “We want to show how quick, athletic and explosive this game is. There is no volleyball shown on Indian TV. The one thing we realised was the difference between Indian and international volleyball is not as great as, say, in football. Our attackers are considered among the best in Asia. It’s just because of the ban we haven’t managed to play much.”
The Indian men’s team was ranked 39th and women 55th in 2016, before FIVB suspended Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) due to a dispute between two warring factions. The men are currently ranked 131, and women 117. Following the success of IPL, a lot of other leagues have emerged, but their appeal has varied. But Pro Kabaddi League’s instant success has given other sports a template for success.
PVL is also hoping to utilise the speed of the sport and spurts of explosive energy to make it a spectator, television-friendly sport.
Teams
Calcicut Heroes, Kochi Blue Spikers, Chennai Spartans, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Ahmedabad Defenders, U Mumba Volley. From: February 2-22. Auctions: December 13-14. Venues: Chennai, Kochi.