The Kolkata Thunderbolts scripted history by winning the inaugural Prime Volleyball League by beating Ahmedabad Defenders with a 3-0 scoreline in the finals to lift the trophy. Thunderbolts captain Ashwal Rai was delighted after the win as he expressed his gratitude to the team management, coaching staff, teammates. He also made a special mention for the fans for supporting them throughout the season.

“I am delighted to lead Kolkata Thunderbolts to the title as captain. Initially, I thought it would be a challenging task as all teams in the tournament were really strong,” Ashwal said.

He highlighted how it was easy to connect with the players and get along with them. Therefore that reflected on the court in their gameplay. Ashwal feels that the coordination present in his team helped them win the title in its inaugural year.

“But after I met with all the players, I mingled up with them quickly and I found it easier to guide my team. It was easy to communicate my plans with the team and they listened to me, which made my task easier. We played with so much coordination and we achieved this result. I thank my teammates, coaching staff and the team management for backing me, and I also thank the fans for showing their support to Kolkata Thunderbolts throughout the season,” Ashwal added.

The Thunderbolts started brilliantly with three successive wins at the start and then lost their way in the next two consecutive games. But they managed to bounce back and defeat the Kochi Blue Spikers to confirm their playoffs berth. They defeated the Calicut Heroes to reach the finale where they faced off against the Ahmedabad Defenders and  eventually bagged the title.

“Winning the match against Kochi Blue Spikers after two straight defeats built back our confidence,” Ashwal Rai said.

“We knew we just have to focus on ourselves and not take too much pressure. We created strategies as per teams we were facing, and the plans laid down by our coaches worked out for us in each game,” he added.

Kolkata Thunderbolts head coach Sunny Joseph and Mr. Pawan Kumar Patodia, who is also the Chairman and Co-Owner of the Kolkata Thunderbolts were delighted with the boys and their performance in clinching the Prime Volleyball League title in their first try. They both feels that it was a reward of their hard work which they did for months before the start of the event.