Hyderabad: As the Prime Volleyball League beckons on February 5, Hyderabad Black Hawks' attacker Amit Gulia believes the team has a "great chance to win" the tournament and that he will give his all for a stupendous show to the lovers of the game.
Gulia, who featured in the 2018 Asian Games and led the Indian side to a Silver Medal at the U-23 Asian Championship in 2019 in Myanmar, talked about how to tap the sport in order to fully harness it at the Olympic level and what can be done to popularise the game in India in an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat.
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Here are the excerpts:
Q. You will be featuring in the Hyderabad Black Hawks team as an attacker. Take us through the planning and strategy ahead of the tournament...
A. I will always give my 100 per cent in every match. If the entire team gives its 100 per cent, then we have a great chance to win. I am giving my full effort in training and I am just eagerly waiting for the league to start. I think the tournament will provide a great platform for volleyball players to showcase their skills.
Q. How do you think this league will help popularise the sport in India?
A. With the RuPay Prime Volleyball League being shown on TV, people will start to watch this sport, and will associate with the sport and play volleyball. The young generation will realise that volleyball is a good sport and has a lot of scope. If this league continues every year, then it is beneficial for players and the sport.
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Q. Kabaddi has garnered interest among the masses, so has the Indian Super League (ISL). Do you think volleyball has the potential to find space too?
A. Yes, volleyball can also find similar success as kabaddi because of the league format. If this league happens every year, people will know about all the players and develop a keen interest in the sport. It will also motivate players to keep themselves fit and give their best performance.
Q. What future do you see of Indian volleyball? Take us through the problems we are facing and what can be done to improve the situation?
A. For every sport, the biggest platform is the Olympics. After Olympics, the second big platform is the Asian Games. I hope India wins a medal at the Asian Games, and then go on to perform at the Olympics as well. The Indian camps happen before big tournaments. In other countries, volleyball continues to take place on a regular basis. So, the more tournaments we continue to take part in, the more we will develop as a team and players. It is important to play friendly matches overseas and get exposure, then it will give a rise to volleyball in our country.
Watch RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23 (PVL) 2022, LIVE and Exclusive on SONY TEN 1, SONY TEN 3 (Hindi) and SONY TEN 4 (Tamil and Telugu) from February 5, 2022.
Ayushmaan Pandey
