‘Companies keen to get involved’ in volleyball
THE recently-concluded inaugural National Volleyball League (NVL) has put the sport on the national map and paves the way for a brighter future.
Volleyball South Africa (VSA) vice-president Kriba Reddy was upbeat after the final weekend of the NVL in Durban recently, which saw Cape side, the Western Cranes, crowned champions on the court and the beach.
Reddy said the exposure on satellite television had attracted interest from potential sponsors for the NVL and that a new tournament would be launched later this year.
“We had been trying for years to get something off the ground, but sponsorship was difficult to come by. Everything changed when volleyball was named the Sport Code of the Year by the Department of Sports and Recreation. As a consequence, volleyball was earmarked for assistance and R10 million was allocated for the launch of the NVL,” said Reddy.
“In their view, the launch of national leagues for basketball and netball helped to attract corporate sponsorship for those codes and the challenge is for us to sustain this interest and engage with corporates to get on board.”
Television coverage is a key component in attracting the corporates and Reddy was happy with the exposure on pay channel SuperSport, which showed highlights and recorded action and screened the final matches live.
“The NVL has been hugely successful, despite initial challenges with finalising the venue. First we tried the Olive Convention Centre but for various reasons it wasn’t feasible, and then we secured the UKZN Sports Centre a bit late because they use the venue for exams.
“With the impressive television coverage we’ve had several approaches already from a beverage company and a food company, which is part of a global brand which are keen to discuss the title sponsorship. It’s early days and we have only started the negotiations, but it’s positive that there are companies keen to get involved in terms of branding rights.”
As an extra event on the calendar, the NVL is expected to have an impact on the quality of competition displayed by VSA teams.
The additional high-level competition would raise the bar among the athletes nationally, said Reddy, as well as ensured that more players got game time through weekly squad rotation.
As the main VSA event, athletes are kitted out and their transport and accommodation are covered by the sponsorship agreement. In time, VSA expected that players would receive a stipend as part of their contract, said Reddy.
“Being a premier event on the calendar, the players and coaches will look forward to showcasing their skills. We asked that of the 18 players contracted at each province, two must be under 18, so that their development is taken further and they get an experience of what it’s like to play at such a level. Ideally, the INDIA’S President Ram Nath Kovind presented Padma awards to 43 people on Monday, including cricket legend MS Dhoni in a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
According to a release, the Padma Bhushan – the third highest civilian honour – was presented to five people: Dhoni, billiards champion Pankaj Advani, Russian Ambassador to India Alexander NVL will be the platform from where the national team will be selected. We asked the provinces not to include foreign players in the NVL, and for the beach competition we encouraged the selection of youth players from our beach youth structures.”
On top of the NVL, players can look forward to a new President’s Cup tournament, the Tubby Reddy Classic, a knock-out event, with the winners potentially representing South Africa in the African Club Championships.
It is named after former VSA president Tubby Reddy, who has agreed to sponsor the tournament. Kadakin (posthumously), Indian artist Laxman Pai and folk singer Sharda Sinha, while the Padma Shri was awarded to 38 people.
Among the dignitaries present were Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Lok Sabha , speaker Sumitra Mahajan and ministers. – IANS