Chennai, Jan 30:
The highly anticipated third edition of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23 is set to begin from February 15 in Chennai.
Nine franchises will compete for the coveted trophy, with the final set to take place on March 21 at the SDAT Multi-purpose Indoor Stadium.
The franchises are Ahmedabad Defenders, Bengaluru Torpedoes, Calicut Heroes, Chennai Blitz, Delhi Toofans, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Kochi Blue Spikers, Kolkata Thunderbolts, and Mumbai Meteors.
The Defending Champions Ahmedabad Defenders will face off against hosts Chennai Blitz in the opening game of the tournament on February 15, while last year’s runners-up Bengaluru Torpedoes will take on the Season 1 winners Kolkata Thunderbolts on the same day.
The third season of RuPay Prime Volleyball League, co-owned and exclusively marketed by India’s leading sports marketing firm, Baseline Ventures, will bring an exciting new format with the introduction of Super 5s, promising a bigger, better and bolder edition.
The Super 5s stage will take place between March 11 and 18 in which the top five teams from the league stage will 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 March 19th.
The winner of the Eliminator will be the second team to book a spot in the final.
Speaking on hosting the upcoming season in Chennai, the Minister of Youth Welfare and Sports Development of Tamil Nadu, Udhayanidhi Stalin said, “Ever since its inception, we have always wanted to host an edition of RuPay Prime Volleyball League in our city due to its rising popularity.
“Volleyball is a sport that is close to the people of Tamil Nadu and there is a huge amount of untapped potential present for the sport here.
“I extend a very warm welcome to all the participating teams and players from all around the world to our beautiful city and we truly believe that their presence here will not only help start a revolution in volleyball across Tamil Nadu but also inspire the next generation of athletes to think of a professional career in this sport.
“We hope to host another successful edition of the tournament and wish all the teams the best. Let the games begin.” RuPay Prime Volleyball League CEO Joy Bhattacharya said, “Volleyball has an ever-growing presence in southern regions and the passionate fans in Tamil Nadu have been clamoring to witness live matches for many years.
“We are delighted to bring the latest edition of RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23 to Chennai.
“We are thankful to the Tamil Nadu government for their blessings and support. Chennai has a huge volleyball fan base and we are confident they will be thrilled to witnessthe league, which will feature some of the top talent from India and abroad.” He further said: “One thing we always want to do is add fresh new elements to our league each year to increase our engagement with fans.
