Super 5s stage introduced for the first time

The highly anticipated third edition of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23  and co-owned and exclusively marketed by India’s leading sports marketing firm, Baseline Ventures, is set to begin on Thursday 15th February, 2024.

Nine franchises including reigning champions Ahmedabad Defenders, last year's runners-up Bengaluru Torpedoes, Calicut Heroes, Chennai Blitz, Delhi Toofans, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Kochi Blue Spikers, Kolkata Thunderbolts, and Mumbai Meteors - will compete for the coveted trophy, with the Final set to take place on 21st March at the SDAT Multi – purpose Indoor Stadium, Chennai.

Ahmedabad Defenders will face off against the hosts Chennai Blitz in the opening game of the tournament, while Bengaluru Torpedoes will take on the Season 1 winners Kolkata Thunderbolts later in the same evening.

On the eve of the action packed third season of the league, all the captains of the nine franchises came face to face in a grand Pre-Season Press Conference on Wednesday.

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 Sir, 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 winners Dakshinamoorthy Sir 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. Their support will help us go a long way."

Both Bengaluru Torpedoes and Kolkata Thunderbolts retained Pankaj Sharma and Ashwal Rai, respectively as Captains for the coming season. "Despite all the challenges last season, we managed to reach the final and were just inches away from grabbing the trophy. This year, we will give it all to ensure we get our hands on the title," Pankaj said.

"We know what it takes to be a Champion and all our players are training with a similar mindset. We want to be the first team in RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23 to win the trophy twice, and we are confident we will achieve our targets," Ashwal added, ahead of the first encounter.

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.

 Tuhin Mishra, Managing Director & Co-Founder at Baseline Ventures Pvt Ltd on the occasion said, "We are delighted to come to Chennai and showcase another exciting edition of RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23. 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, arriving in this beautiful city. We cannot wait to see what will happen and this season is truly unpredictable.”

Roy Bhattacharjya, CEO, RuPay Prime Volleyball League added “Volleyball has an ever-growing presence in the Southern regions. Chennai has a huge volleyball fan base and we are confident they will be thrilled to witness the league, which will feature some of the top talent from India and abroad. One thing we always want to do is add fresh new elements to our league each year to increase our engagement with fans. In addition to adding a team from North Delhi Toofans, we have decided to introduce Super 5s which will provide a different dimension to the competition. To be held between 11th and 18th March , the same will witness the top five teams from the League stage compete in a round-robin format to determine the final three teams. The team finishing first in the Super 5s will earn a direct qualification for the Final, while the teams finishing in the second and third places will compete in the Eliminator on 19th March. The winner of the Eliminator will be the second team to book a spot in the Final.”

RuPay PVL Season 3 will be aired on Sony Sports Network in five languages - English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam for the benefit of Volleyball fans starting 15th February 2024, 6:30 PM onwards, Live on Sony Sports Network and will be available to livestream on SonyLIV.