Used to feel jealous of other sports because they were at such elite levels: Ahmedabad's Angamuthu thankful for PVL
The final of the Prime Volleyball League (PVL) will be played later today between the Ahmedabad Defenders and the Kolkata Thunderbolts in Hyderabad. The Defenders had beaten Hyderabad Black Hawks 3-1 in the semi-final while Thunderbolts overturned a 1-8 lead by Calicut Heroes in the third set to register a brilliant win and secure a berth in the final.
After winning the first two sets with relative ease, Thunderbolts endured a disappointing start in the third set and the side took a technical time-out after trailing 1-8. On the television broadcast, Ashwal Rai was seen motivating the players and had special instructions for Rahul K. ahead of the resumption. The Thunderbolts eventually secured a 17-15 win in the set, registering a 3-0 sweep over the Heroes.
"During the time-out, the coaches asked us to keep calm because we were already leading 2-0. I told the players that the game hadn't ended yet, they still need to reach 15 points. We need to keep trying. We stayed confident. We knew we have to keep going and we did it. It was a wonderful win,” Ashwal said as he recalled the moment in the press conference ahead of the final.
The Thunderbolts captain further said that the win in the third set was “almost a miracle” and the side is surcharged with renewed confidence and energy for the final against the Defenders.
Also read: Pay us first, show affiliation proof with FIVB before starting league, PVL CEO Joy Bhattacharjya tells VFI - Exclusive
"We were trailing 1-8 but after winning, we got so much confidence and energy that now we can even play two finals in a row! Calicut are a brilliant team so it's a big win; beating them was a big moment. We have a great understanding in our team and we worked really hard. It was almost a miracle because over half of the set was over. We did the impossible and we are confident for the final,” said Ashwal.
Didn’t expect we will be training professionally
A number of youngsters in the PVL have lauded the highly professional level of training in the league. For senior players Angamuthu Ramaswamy (Ahmedabad Defenders) and Vinit Kumar (Kolkata Thunderbolts), the experience was no different.
"Firstly, I would like to thank Joy sir (PVL CEO) for creating such a wonderful environment. We used to feel jealous about other sports that they were at such an elite level but we weren't going to that level in our sport. But I'm feeling very happy and emotional because we're here only because of the PVL,” Angamuthu said.
“We didn't expect we will be playing and training like this, and get exposure by playing alongside foreign players.
"The training is at an elite level. We're being trained to play professionally, to perform like a professional. This is what we needed, and I hope we continue to do the same.”
Vinit, meanwhile, added that their comeback against Calicut Heroes in the final set was a testament to the “high level” of training.
"We had a highly professional level of training. The competition was at a very high level in the league and we received a similar standard of training, and it shows in our game -- even when we go 0-7 down like in our match against Calicut Heroes, (our comeback) was because of the training we received,” said the Thunderbolts player.
Watch RuPay Prime Volleyball League Final – Kolkata Thunderbolts vs Ahmedabad Defenders - Live on SONY TEN 1 (English), SONY TEN 3 (Hindi), SONY TEN 4 (Tamil & Telugu) & SONY TEN 2 (Malayalam) channels at 6:30 pm IST on 27th February 2022.
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