Hyderabad: For Chennai Blitz captain Mohan Ukkrapandian, performing to the best of their potential is the only mantra going into the tournament as the team gears up to step on the court in the first season of the Prime Volleyball League at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium here.
Chennai Blitz will face Ahmedabad Defenders on 6th February and the skipper, with the likes of GS Akhin and Naveen Raja Jacob, is banking on the experience of the players to sail them through.
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𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 ⚡
— Prime Volleyball (@PrimeVolley) January 31, 2022 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="
📽️ Watch @Pvsindhu1's father P.V. Ramana acing it on the court 🏐😍#PrimeVolley pic.twitter.com/Hrw5khUMRW
">𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 ⚡
— Prime Volleyball (@PrimeVolley) January 31, 2022
📽️ Watch @Pvsindhu1's father P.V. Ramana acing it on the court 🏐😍#PrimeVolley pic.twitter.com/Hrw5khUMRW𝐋𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫, 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐞𝐫 ⚡
— Prime Volleyball (@PrimeVolley) January 31, 2022
📽️ Watch @Pvsindhu1's father P.V. Ramana acing it on the court 🏐😍#PrimeVolley pic.twitter.com/Hrw5khUMRW
When Etv Bharat asked about the composition of the team during a virtual press conference, Ukkrapandian, said, "It's shaping up well and we are happy. We have a great understanding among us. The experience speaks here. We don't need to tell an individual to do things because of the experience that they have. Myself, Naveen among others have played for India as well. We have a great connection and it's good for us as a team."
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"Everyone is saying that Chennai team is very good, it because of that (experience). We can up the ante even if our performance goes down at some point. Since some of us have played for the Tamil Nadu and the Indian national side, it will be very helpful," he said.
While Ukkrapandian concedes that the team will have a simple plain strategy of putting their best foot forward every time they step on the court, he also emphasised the need to take each match as it comes, a strategy also reiterated by his Bengaluru Torpedoes counterpart Ranjit Singh.
"We have to give our best, that's the only strategy. We are going to take match by match and strategise according to that," the Chennai captain said.
On their first match against Kochi Blue Spikers, Singh, captain of the Bengaluru team said their plan is to strategise against one team at a time and not the tournament as a whole. While the Chennai team is looking to rely on the experience of its players, Bengaluru Torpedoes is looking to tap its bench strength.
"We will take one game after another. First game is against Kochi, so out first target is to perform well against them. We will be able to focus better if we target each game as it comes. Our plannings and strategies are completely based on the first game as of now. We have a slight advantage as they will play their first game before us and we will be able to dissect how they are going about it. (Kochi Blue Spikers will take on Hyderabad Black Hawks in the first game of the league.) Our bench strength is very good," Singh told this website even as he denied picking a formidable opponent that can upset their strategy.
"All the oponents are good in their own way. No body is less in this game."
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A recent viral video of 59-year-old PV Ramana where he is seen smashing the ball like a young gun on the volleyball court in Hyderabad took the internet by storm. Apart from displaying his physical prowess and accuracy with the ball, the 1986 Asian Games bronze medallist and former national spiker also had a word of advice for Singh.
Asked what Ramana had advised him, he said, "He is our senior player. He has also received Arjuna award. He was sitting and noticing our game. He called me and advised on the strategy and combinations. He advised us on two three points and I took note," Singh concluded.
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, will be played at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium from 05 February 2022 - 27 February 2022.
Watch Bengaluru Torpedoes vs Kochi Blue Spikers – LIVE on SONY TEN 1 (English), SONY TEN 3 (Hindi), SONY TEN 4 (Tamil & Telugu) & SONY TEN 2 (Malayalam) channels at 6:50 pm IST on 8th February 2022.
Ayushmaan Pandey
