Volleyball Club World Championships to be played in India by year-end

The Volleyball Club World Championships is about two decades old and has featured men’s professional clubs from around the world, competing for the title of World Champions and a share of about $350,000 in prize money. The FIVB and CVC Capital Partners together set up Volleyball World which drives growth, innovation and investment in volleyball. The championship will be staged between December 6 and 10, 2023. The host city will be announced later this year.

As the host nation, the winners of the Prime Volleyball League in 2023 and 2024 will represent India in the tournaments, where they will face competition from established clubs from the top volleyball nations like Italy, Brazil, Iran etc. The league is sponsored by RuPay and has gaming company A23 the ‘powered-by’ sponsor.

The Club World Championships will be marketed here by sports marketing company Baseline Ventures, which is also the founding partner of the Prime Volleyball League. In 2022, the Prime Volleyball League’s first season, the company claimed, had a cumulative TV viewership of 133 million in India and 84 million on digital platforms.

“We are thrilled to have the Club World Champs being held for the first time in the subcontinent. This tournament is known for its exciting and competitive matches, and we are delighted to give fans in India, and around the world, via Volleyball World TV, the opportunity to watch the best clubs and athletes compete at the highest level,” said Finn Taylor – CEO of Volleyball World.

Tuhin Mishra, managing director & co-founder, Baseline Ventures said: “This is in line with our mission to help the Indian volleyball team qualify for the 2028 Olympics and a global event which will be held for consecutive years in India will provide the perfect platform and exposure for our players.”

Thomas Muthoot, owner of Kochi Blue Spikers and Chairman of the Prime Volleyball League board said: “This is great news for our league as it will encourage every team in the league to give their best so that they can play in the championships. Also, this global event will surely create more excitement for Indian volleyball fans as they will witness the best volleyball action on Indian soil.”

The league will stream live on Volleyball World TV outside the Indian subcontinent, starting Saturday. The qualified teams and final schedule for the championships will be announced later this year.