"We are fans of many of these players" - Ahmedabad Defenders blocker Ashwal Rai on competing with top clubs in Volleyball Club World Championship
Indian men's volleyball player Ashwal Rai will bank on the home support in the upcoming Men's Volleyball Club World Championship 2023, starting on December 6 at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium in Bengaluru.
Ahmedabad Defenders, who lifted the Prime Volleyball League (PVL) title in March earlier this year, will be among the six participating clubs for the global event.
Ashwal Rai, who was the captain of Kolkata Thunderbolts in the PVL season 2, was one of the key signings for the Ahmedabad outfit from the rival clubs. Notably, every team is allowed to sign players from their respective domestic leagues in the Volleyball Club World Championship.
Speaking on competing with the best players at the highest level, the blocker from Karnataka was quoted as saying in an official release:
"It is a matter of immense pride for us to represent our country against the world’s best Volleyball players. We are fans of many of these players and it will be an honor to compete with them."
Rai was part of India's Asian Games 2023 campaign in Hangzhou, China, where they finished sixth and shocked World No. 27 South Korea in the qualification round. Speaking on the capability of the Indian players to upset world-class teams, the 30-year-old added:
"This will be round 2 after the Asian Games, and no doubt we want to show them what we can do, and especially with the home support backing us, there is potential for some great contests, and moments that inspire others.”
Ahmedabad Defenders schedule and squad for Men's Volleyball Club World Championship 2023
Ahmedabad Defenders are part of Pool A along with Brazilian club Itambe Minas (Brazil) and defending champions Sir Sicoma Perugia of Italy. Each team will play the other two opponents once with the top two teams advancing to the semi-finals.
Ahmedabad Defenders will commence their campaign on December 6 against Itambe Minas.
December 6: Ahmedabad Defenders vs Itambe Minas
December 8: Ahmedabad Defenders vs Sir Sicoma Perugia
Ahmedabad Defenders squad: R Angamuthu, Amit Gulia, T Srikanth, Ashamatullah, A Muthusamy, A Shameemudheen, MR Vyshak, S Santhosh, S Nandhagopal, Ashwal Rai, R Ramanathan, LM Manoj, SV Guru Prasanth, Srajan Shetty, Parth Patel, Mohan Ukkrapandian, Ilya Burao (overseas) and Max Senica (overseas)
Ahmedabad Defenders Head Coach: Dakshinamoorthy