The inaugural edition of the Indian Volley League (IVL) seems well on its way with each of six teams sold at a base price of Rs. 10 lakh.
In an exclusive chat with The Hindu , IVL Chairman and former India captain V. Ravikanth Reddy discussed his dream project, drawn up on the lines of cricket's Indian Premier League (IPL).
“Of the dozen players who form a squad, team coaches have the option of importing two foreign players, depending on their requirement in defence or offence,” the former Indian captain said.
“To give the teams balance, top players from across the country have been picked from the senior, junior and youth levels,” he said.
“Timing of the logo and mascot's unveiling and the commencement of the IVL has been carefully planned. The unveiling has come during the break in the ICC World Cup and the IVL itself will get under way on May 29, after the IPL ends, so that the nation's attention is firmly on our sport,” the Arjuna awardee said.
In his prime, a setter par excellence, Reddy said Doordarshan Sports would telecast all matches live, but negotiations were also on with Zee Sports and TEN Sports.
“With just over two months to the opening day, we are making efforts to market the IVL in a big way. We are on the lookout for a title sponsor, to sell advertising space on the court itself, in-stadia hoardings, on jerseys and shorts to meet the expenditure outlay of Rs. 1.5 crore,” he said.
“It's too early for cheer girls but the focus will instead be on efficient conduct of the league,” said Reddy, a member of the silver medal winning Indian junior side in the Asian championships in Iran.
