Ashwal Rai has been made Kolkata Thunderbolts captain for the first season of the Prime Volleyball League which begins on February 5 in Hyderabad.
The tournament will witness seven franchises - Calicut Heroes, Kochi Blue Spikers, Ahmedabad Defenders, Hyderabad Black Hawks, Chennai Blitz, Bengaluru Torpedoes and Kolkata Thunderbolts - compete with each other. The tournament will be played at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium from February 5 until February 27.
The Kolkata Thunderbolts Chairman Pawan Kumar Patodia also released their tag line - #KhelbeBanglaJitbeyBangla.
Speaking about being named captain of the Kolkata Thunderbolts, Ashwal Rai said during a virtual press conference on Saturday: "I am feeling really good about being given the responsibility of leading the Kolkata Thunderbolts team. The RuPay Prime Volleyball League is a big league and the tournament has provided a platform to many players."
"I would like to thank our owners Pawan Kumar Patodia and Vineet Bhandari for giving me this opportunity. We will try to win the competition. We have a good team and we are ready to compete in the tournament," he added.
The Kolkata Thunderbolts head coach Sunny Joseph expressed that he is expecting great results from the team this season, "Ashwal is a terrific leader. Our main focus as a team will be unity. The team has to work together mentally and physically. We have prepared well for the tournament and all the players are cooperating well. The support staff and the management have provided excellent support. I am sure that we will do something special this season."
The Kolkata Thunderbolts will take on Calicut Heroes in their first match of the season on February 7 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad.
( With inputs from ANI )
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