Japanese coatings manufacturer Nippon Paint has signed a two-season deal to sponsor India’s new Pro Volleyball League.
The League is the latest franchise-based competition to launch in India and will stage its inaugural campaign from February 2-22.
Nippon Paint will serve as an associate sponsor of the competition, which is being operated by the Baseline Ventures agency and the Volleyball Federation of India.
“Volleyball enjoys great popularity across all cities, small towns and villages of India,” S Mahesh Anand, president of Nippon Paint (Decorative Division), said, according to the Economic Times newspaper.
“A professional league for it couldn’t have happened at a better time. We believe that our association with Pro Volleyball will give us a chance to support the sport in the years to come, and in turn, gain substantial traction for our global brand.”
The six teams to participate in the first edition of Pro Volleyball League will be the Ahmedabad Defenders, Calicut Heroes, Chennai Spartans, U Mumba Volley, Black Hawks Hyderabad and the Kochi Blue Spikers. Games will be held in the cities of Kochi and Chennai.