After a two-year gap, Baseline Ventures is putting things in place to organise the Prime Volleyball League (PVL) in the last quarter of the year.
The League was last organised (it was then called the Pro Volleyball League) in 2019 successfully.
Joy Bhattacharjya, CEO of Prime Volleyball League, said he is in talks with Sony TV to slot the dates. “We are getting the dates together. It is likely to be in one of the last three months of the year,” he said to The Hindu on Tuesday.
Baseline has already roped in three franchise owners and is in advanced talks with others. Thomas Muthoot of Kochi Blue Spikers, Pravin Chaudhuri of the Ahmedabad Defenders and P.T. Safeer of the Calicut Heroes, return as founder-franchises of the new League.
Modelled on NBA
Joy said PVL is modelled on National Basketball Association (NBA). “Team owners also own a stake in the League. This means they have also invested in the operations and are long-term partners. It is a stable platform. This is how Major League Baseball, American Football is run,” said Joy.
The VFI angle
When queried whether the League requires the support of Volleyball Federation of India (there are two factions in VFI and the case is pending in Madras High Court), Joy said the PVL is structured in such a way that it will run irrespective of who comes to power. “Half of the tournaments [In India] are private leagues. As of now, Court hasn’t declared which is the elected National Federation.
“Moreover, the Competition of Commission of India rules state that tournaments cannot be stopped where players are earning their livelihood,” he said.
Joy expressed confidence that the League will have the best of players from India and abroad.
“Don’t worry about it. We have already thought about it. We are confident of producing a good quality product,” he signed off.
