PVL: 'For us, every match is final,' says Kolkata Thunderbolts coach Rahman Mohammadrad

Kolkata Thunderbolts suffered a loss in their opening match of the Prime Volleyball League 2024 as Bengaluru Torpedoes beat them 16-14, 14-16, 15-13, 15-10 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Thursday.

After the defeat, Thunderbolts coach Rahman Mohammadrad said, “During pre-season camp in Mysore, all the players in the squad trained exceptionally well so keeping that in mind, I expected a bit more from the team. However, I believe my team has potential to be the best from what I saw yesterday. They have the fighting spirit and the motivation to win match. They just need to be focused.”

Kolkata Thunderbolts will play reigning champions Ahmedabad Defenders in their next match.

The Defenders have registered a sensational win against Chennai Blitz in their opening match.

Asked how he plans to approach this game, Mohammadrad said, “All nine teams in the league are really good and have enough power to become the champions. We cannot take any match lightly, so for us every match is like a final and we will plan for every match accordingly. Ahmedabad Defenders are a strong squad but we will put up our best performance against them and I hope the result will be in our favour.”

The coach also expressed his thoughts on Ashwal Rai, the captain of the Kolkata Thunderbolts.

“Ashwal has a lot of experience in this capacity. Everyone in our team look up to him. He is a true leader and is always inspiring the players around him to give their best. I am extremely happy to see him as a captain of our team," said Mohammadrad.