Family, Fatherhood and Volleyball: Shubham Chaudhary eyes PVL glory with Mumbai Meteors

New Delhi [India], August 22 (ANI): "The Prime Volleyball League (PVL) is a fantastic initiative," says an enthusiastic Shubham Chaudhary, who has been retained by Mumbai Meteors for the upcoming season, as per a release from PVL.

The 31-year-old expressed his delight at continuing with the Mumbai-based franchise.

"PVL is a fantastic initiative. What could be better than giving youngsters a chance to showcase their talent? The platform is strong, the sport is growing, and it's giving volleyball in India the recognition it deserves", he said.

Shubham, who scored a total of 134 points (110 Attack points, 14 Block points and 10 Serve points) in the 2024 edition and 46 points (40 Attack points, 2 Block points and 4 Serve points) in the 2023 season, lavished praise on the Mumbai Meteors franchise. "Mumbai Meteors is a fantastic franchise. I felt really happy when they retained me. Now, my focus is to train and be in the best shape for the upcoming season and aim to win the title," Chaudhary added.

Talking about the squad and the kind of balance that the youngsters and the experienced players bring to the table, Shubham said, "Our squad is a great mix--half are promising youngsters, and the other half are experienced seniors. I feel it's a very balanced team, and it's always good to have young energy along with senior guidance."

Shubham, who hails from Karnal, credited his father, who has himself played at the National level, for making him fall in love with the sport. "I am from Karnal, Haryana. My interest in sports came from my father, who was a volleyball coach and a national-level player with a gold medal at the All-India level. He worked with the Chandigarh Police and later as a coach in Haryana before becoming a professor. He's retired now, but everything I've achieved started because of him."

"In those days, it was compulsory to play every position--blocker, attacker, everything. My father taught me the basics--hands, fingers, batting. I started as an attacker and gradually got comfortable in the universal role," Chaudhary further explained.

Shubham, who currently serves in the Income Tax department--a role he earned through his achievements in volleyball--also praised the wealth of talent emerging from Haryana.

"Haryana has always had great talent. Karnal and Kurukshetra, especially, have produced many good players. There's also a SAI Centre in Kurukshetra, which helps nurture young athletes," he said.

The Meteors' all-rounder grew emotional while speaking about the role of his family in his journey, "My mother and my wife have been pillars of strength for me. They've always encouraged me to keep playing, no matter what. Now, with a three-month-old daughter at home, my wife inspires me even more--I feel an extra push to give my very best, both on and off the court," he shared.

Volleyball fans will be able to experience the excitement of top-tier teams battling it out on the volleyball court starting on 2nd October 2025. (ANI)

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