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United News of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- United News of India
Being unpicked in Season 1 auction spurred me to improve: Volleyball star Shameemudheen
New Delhi, July 20 (UNI) Shameemudheen Ammarambath, who was one of the heftiest buys in the recent Season 4 auction of the Prime Volleyball League (PVL), says that being unpicked during the Season 1 auction spurred him on to become a better player. In an exclusive interview with UNI, Shameemudheen explained how the disappointment of being unpicked ignited a fire in him. "I was disappointed. However, in mid season I got an opportunity to play as a replacement player and was part of the winning team. And because there was that disappointment, I ensured that in the subsequent seasons I did not go unsold. 'I put on more efforts in my training and practice," said Shameemudheen, who represents the Indian Air Force. Shameemudheen, who plays as a middle blocker, was brought in as an injury replacement for the Kolkata Thunderbolts mid-season, and played a key role in helping the franchise win the trophy during Season 1. He was subsequently picked by Mumbai Meteors where he played Season 2 and 3. This year he was acquired by Calicut Heroes for Rs 22.5 lakhs during the Season 4 auction in June. This was the joint highest bid which he shared with Jerome Viniit and Vinit Chaudhary. He said that due to the PVL, Indian volleyball players have started getting offers from foreign leagues. "Since the PVL started, there has been a lot of interest in Indian players from foreign leagues. I have got offers from the UAE and Maldives. But for me playing for the Indian Air force is a priority. Chirag (Yadav) is playing in the Maldives, John Joseph is playing in the UAE. They were noticed through the PVL," he said. The Mallapuram native, who hopes to be a part of India' s Asian Games Volleyball team next year, said the Prime Volleyball League (PVL) has taken the popularity of the sport to a different level in Kerala. "Volleyball was popular in Kerala, but once the league came it was widely followed on TV. Fan groups have further accentuated the growth of the game in the state. For example, Chembada, the fan group of Calicut Heroes, is very active locally," he said. Speaking about his personal journey in volleyball, Shameemudheen said he was initially into football, and then forayed into volleyball, courtesy a chance incident. "I used to play football in my village. Once while playing in my village, there was a volleyball match on nearby. As it happened, they were short of two people. So two of us tall guys were roped in to the volleyball match. That is how I started. This was when I was in Class 11-12," he recalled. After his schooling in Mallapuram, Shameemudheen went to college in Kochi, where he was picked for the Volleyball team. He went on to play many local tournaments and eventually got selected for the Indian Air force (IAF) Team. He named some of the players to watch out for during the Season 4 of the Prime Volleyball league. "Jerome Viniit, Vinit Chaudhary are always dangerous players who have performed well through the years, and among the youngsters Muhammad Jasim and Jasjot Singh are likely to do well in the upcoming league." said Shameemudheen. Season 4 of the Prime Volleyball League will start on October 2, 2025. The venue is yet to be decided. UNI RKM RN SSP
The Hindu
21-06-2025
- Sport
- The Hindu
Prime Volleyball League: the prudent, viable revolution that is being televised
Tuhin Mishra was looking for a sport that could catch the imagination of the television audience. He also wanted it to be a sport in which the national team had the potential to climb the ladder in the global arena. Volleyball fitted the bill, he found out. That was some seven years ago. The Prime Volleyball League has not just injected badly needed fresh life into the sport in India, but it continues to attract new investors as well. Goa Guardians became the league's 10th team ahead of the player-auction at Kozhikode earlier this month. Growing viewership Tuhin, who was in the northern Kerala city, is excited that the fourth edition of the league could have a wider audience with YouTube streaming the action across the world. 'Last season alone, the television viewership, according to BARC, was close to 200 million, which is a huge number for a non-cricket league in India,' the league's co-founder tells The Hindu . 'The league's growth over the last couple of years has, in fact, been really good.' The Prime Volleyball League wasn't always the Prime Volleyball League, though. Back in 2019, Tuhin's Baseline Ventures, in partnership with the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI), had launched Pro Volley. That league, however, lasted just one season. From the indoor court, Pro Volley moved to a court of law after the VFI terminated the 10-year contract. Baseline won the case, in straight sets, as it were: the VFI was ordered to pay Rs. 4.5 crore as compensation. After a break of three years, the Prime Volleyball League took off. Calicut Heroes, which won Season 3 last year, was also one of the teams in Pro Volley. The franchise's owner, P.T. Safeer, says his passion for the game was shared by his partners at the Kozhikode-based Beacon Group. 'We used to conduct volleyball tournaments and then formed a club,' he says. 'When Pro Volley took off, we wanted to be part of it.' 'We had faith in volleyball,' says Tuhin. 'Pro Volley was a success; good crowds came to watch the games, the television numbers were good, and major corporates, like Rupay, Nippon Paint and Bank of Baroda, came on board as sponsors.' There are also sponsors for the franchises in the Prime Volleyball League. 'Sponsors take quite a bit of pressure off us,' says Safeer. 'Yes, we know it will take some time for the league to break even, but we are willing to wait.' Tuhin believes it could take only another three to four years for that to happen. 'Even IPL franchises took 10 years to break even,' he says. 'Actually some of our teams are almost there already.' The league should be among the most prudently managed ones out there. The entire tournament is held at one venue, over a month, thus saving on the cost of logistics. And look at the way the players' salaries are capped. The fattest paycheque this year is Rs. 22.5 lakh. Exorbitant salaries have proved rather costly for some leagues in India, with players getting paid the kind of money they would not have dreamt of. Slow and steady 'Yes, that was something we were very conscious of,' says Tuhin. 'With our background in sports management, having handled careers of several athletes, we know where the problem is when it comes to the viability of a professional league. The biggest problem is trying to pay the players too much. Every league is not an IPL. The growth in salary has to be realistic; it has to be slow and steady.' Still for Indian players, the money in the Prime Volleyball League is really good, because they used to be paid a pittance earlier. Tom Joseph, one of the finest Indian volleyball has ever produced, says that although organisers made a lot of money from hosting regular tournaments — volleyball is insanely popular in small towns in northern Kerala, where over 10,000 fans fill makeshift galleries — players like him would not be adequately compensated or even given proper accommodation. 'Even after I have played for India, I remember sleeping on benches at a school for a National championship, and now the Prime Volleyball players are provided accommodation in five-star hotels,' says Tom, who was the head coach of Hyderabad Black Hawks in 2023. 'In my time, a top player would get only Rs. 25,000 or 30,000 for an entire season, in which we would be playing a dozen tournaments over several months. Now from the Prime Volleyball League, even an average player would get Rs. 5 lakh, that too playing for just a month.' Tom points out countries like Iran and Qatar had similar leagues in his playing days. 'I have played in Qatar, and because of those leagues, the national teams of those countries have improved greatly,' says the former India captain. 'Iran used to be ranked No. 8 or 9 in Asia, behind India, and now it is No. 2.' He says because of the league, more young talents are coming through. 'Look at a player like Jasjodh Singh from Punjab, he was picked up for Rs. 14.75 lakh by Kochi Blue Spikers even though he is not an international,' says Tom. 'Volleyball is now looking attractive for youngsters. And because of the league, Indian volleyball is getting new talents, such as K. Anand, E.J. John Joseph, K. Rahul and T.R. Sethu.' That, says Tuhin, is one of the aims of the league. 'We want to see the Indian volleyball team faring well at the international level, and everyone's dream is to see India playing at the Olympics,' he says. 'And the talent is there, and we are improving our ranking, too. Even FIVB, the international volleyball governing body, is keen about India; they have appointed a coach for India, Dragan Mihailovic, and they are paying him.' Reasons for optimism There is reason for Tuhin to be optimistic. India does not merely have a strong tradition in volleyball — the country has produced world class men like Jimmy George and contested the final of the World under-19 championship in 2003 — but there is also plenty of talent around still. Volleyball is one of the very few truly global sports in which India can aspire to do well. Tuhin says the game is getting increasingly popular, going by the television viewership. 'The best thing about the television audience, we found, is that lots of women and kids are watching the league,' he says. 'It is not just mostly men — as is the case with most sports broadcasts — that tune into the league. The split between men and women is 53-47.' Safeer believes the league's business model also should help. 'This is a league in which the franchises also have a direct stake in the ownership,' he says. 'So we will get a fair share of the league's profit.' The Prime Volleyball League indeed has the potential to become one of Indian sport's success stories.
Time of India
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Jasjodh, Preet from Pb make it to Prime Volleyball League
Ludhiana: Two young volleyball players studying in Ludhiana, Jasjodh Singh and Preet Karan, both 22, have made it to the Prime Volleyball League (PVL) through recently held auctions. They are the only players from Punjab to be selected for the tournament. Jasjodh, a third-year student at SCD Govt College, was bought by Kochi Blue Spikers for an impressive Rs 14.75 lakh — almost three times the base price of Rs 5 lakh. His teammate and fellow college student, Preet Karan, who is in the final year, was picked by Hyderabad Black Hawks for more than Rs 5 lakh. This marks the first time either of the players has been selected for the PVL, making it a milestone moment in their budding careers. Both players said they were excited and honoured to be part of the Prime Volleyball League. "It's a big opportunity for us. The league is becoming more popular with every season, and we are thrilled to be a part of it," said Jasjodh. They also thanked their coaches, Gurjot Singh and Sunil Kumar. Jasjodh, who hails from Jaura village in Jalandhar, has already represented India on international platforms. He was part of the World University Games held in China and has also played in tournaments in Malaysia and Australia. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Indian Truck Driver Now Earns ₹2.9 Crore Monthly (See how) prestigetrophy Learn More Undo At the national level, he has won multiple medals in competitions, including the Khelo India University Games and other youth championships. Preet, who is from Balachaur, has also shown consistent growth. Both players started training under coach Gurjot after enrolling at SCD Govt College. Over the past two years, they've trained rigorously and participated in several state and national tournaments, which helped them attract attention for the league. Follow more information on Air India plane crash in Ahmedabad here . Get real-time live updates on rescue operations and check full list of passengers onboard AI 171 .
The Hindu
08-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Jerome, Vinit, Shameemudheen biggest buys at PVL auction
C. Jerome Vinith has a new team in the Prime Volleyball League (PVL). After smashing away winners for Cailcut Heroes in all the three seasons of the league thus far, he was picked up for ₹22.5 lakh by Chennai Blitz at the auction for Season 4 here on Sunday. The Chennai franchise faced some stiff competition from Bengaluru Torpedoes before securing the services of Vinith, the Most Valuable Player last season in which he took Calicut all the way to the title. Two other men also went for ₹22.5 lakh — Vinit Kumar (Kochi Blue Spikers) and Shameemudheen (Calicut). Hyderabad Black Hawks got Shikhar Singh for Rs. 16 lakh, while Jasjodh Singh was bought for Rs. 14.75 lakh by Kochi. Bengaluru bought P.V. Jishnu for Rs. 14 lakh, while Ahmedabad Defenders spent Rs 11.5 lakh (right to match) on Shon T. John. The fourth edition of the league is scheduled to be held in October. It has expanded to 10 teams, with the addition of Goa Guardians. Delhi Toofans, Mumbai Meteors and Kolkata Thunderbolts complete the line-up. After the auction, Tuhin Mishra, the co-founder of Baseline Ventures (the company behind the PVL) expressed hopes for a brighter future. 'The league's last edition attracted 200 million television viewers on our broadcaster Sony, and that is a huge number,' he said. 'We hope that number would be bigger this season. And for streaming on the global stage, we have tied up with the world's biggest OTT platform, YouTube.' Joy Bhattacharjya, the league's CEO, said the auction highlighted some young talents. 'And the senior players like Jerome got the kind of money they deserved,' he said.
India Gazette
05-06-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Prime Volleyball League welcomes Goa Guardians as their 10th Franchise
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 5 (ANI): The Prime Volleyball League just celebrated its expansion with the addition of the Goa Guardians as the 10th franchise. Based in the state of Goa, the franchise will make its debut in the fourth season, which is set to begin on October 2nd, 2025. According to a release from Prime Volleyball League, this reaffirms the league's position as one of India's fastest-growing sports leagues, with a new team joining every season since its inception. Owned by Raju Chekuri, Chairman, President, and CEO of Netenrich, the franchise aims to challenge for leadership in the already fiercely competitive league, which features some of the biggest names in volleyball from India and overseas competing for the prestigious trophy. Speaking on the announcement, Chekuri, a passionate sports enthusiast said, 'Joining the Prime Volleyball League with the Goa Guardians is more than just a team launch--it's a long-term investment in Indian volleyball. Our mission is to unlock the incredible athletic potential across rural and urban India, and build a globally competitive platform for talent,' as quoted from a release by Prime Volleyball League. 'My dream is to see India compete at the Olympics within the next decade. But that's only possible if we work together--as one league, one vision--to provide massive competitive exposure and world-class development. Goa Guardians is committed to that cause,' he added. Tuhin Mishra, co-owner and exclusive marketing partner of the league said, 'Welcoming a new team every season is a testament to the growing footprint and appeal of the Prime Volleyball League across India. We welcome Goa Guardians with open arms to the league; their presence is a major boost as we continue to work towards developing the sport of volleyball in India. There is no dearth of talent and having 10 franchises will further allow more volleyball players from India to earn the opportunity to showcase their skills and talent on the biggest stage.' Joy Bhattacharjya, CEO, Prime Volleyball League further said, 'Goa Guardians is a fantastic addition to our growing family. Mr. Chekuri's vision and commitment to the sport make us extremely confident about what this team will bring to the table. Volleyball is already one of the most popular sports in the country, and this addition is a testament to its growing market presence.' The Goa Guardians will join a dynamic roster of teams representing major cities, Ahmedabad Defenders, Bengaluru Torpedoes, Calicut Heroes, Chennai Blitz, Delhi Toofans, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Kochi Blue Spikers, Kolkata Thunderbolts, and Mumbai Meteors. With the fourth season on the horizon, the league is set to scale new heights, bringing together thrilling action, athletic excellence, passionate fans with a unified goal, to place Indian volleyball on the global map. The PVL Season 4 player auction is set to take place in Calicut on June 8 and the season will officially begin on October 2. (ANI)
