As the Prime Volleyball League comes home for the final phase which begins at the Rajiv Gandhi indoor stadium here on Friday, Calicut Heroes head coach Kishore Kumar is a very happy man.
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Calicut is fourth in the eight-team table with six points from three wins, but the team has played just four matches while the sides above it, league leader Ahmedabad Defenders and second-placed Kolkata Thunderbolts, have played one match more and Hyderabad Black Hawks have played six.
“It’s good to come back home, it’s a special feeling playing in front of your home fans, that should make us stronger,” Kishore told The Hindu on Thursday evening.
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Kishore revealed that some of his players had been unwell in the last leg in Hyderabad where Calicut suffered its lone loss, against Ahmedabad.
Calicut will play Chennai Blitz in the opening match in Kochi on Friday and will be in action in the second day too, against Kochi Blue Spikers.
Some of the top stars of the PVL in Kochi on Thursday. | Photo Credit: R.K. Nithin
Kochi is yet to taste its first win in the league and will be eager to make the most of the home conditions too.
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Meanwhile Tom Joseph, Hyderabad’s head coach, has picked his four teams which could enter the semifinals.
“I think Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Calicut and our team Hyderabad will make it,” said the former international, one of the country’s best players after the late Jimmy George. “And all the teams look equal.”
The final phase had its launch event here on Thursday and PVL CEO Joy Bhattacharjya, Kochi Blue Spikers owner Thomas Muthoot and Calicut Heroes co-owner P.T. Safeer and a few stars including Kochi attacker Erin Varghese, Calicut attacker Ashwin Raj and Chennai Blocker Akhin GS spoke.
Matches begin at 7 p.m.