Crashing weddings, tuk tuk rides: How Olympian Ci Michel is dazzled with India’s volleyball spectacle

“I think India are heading in the right direction, 100 percent,” famous Olympian Ciara Michel, who’s a part of the commentary panel within the ongoing RuPay Prime Volleyball League (PVL) 2023. Michel, who is without doubt one of the largest promoter of volleyball, began enjoying the game at 15, which she feels is “actually quite late for most players”.

Regardless of the very fact, Michel’s journey from there has onlynelevation, making her a daily face in elite competitions, which incorporates World Championship, Olympics and the Champions League. Now at 37, Michel is a full-time commentator in main volleyball tournaments and runs a YouTube channel, calling it “the perfect job on this planet”.

That is her first go to to India and going by her updates on social media, issues could not have been extra thrilling for the British-American volleyball participant. “I don’t know how to explain, but as soon as we got off the plane we (Lewie Lett, fellow commentator) immediately got into a tuk tuk (e-rickshaw) and went around the city because we wanted to taste the food. We want to see the sights, we went to the palace, we tried to crash an Indian wedding. It’s been so…fun. And the volleyball has been a spectacle,” mentioned Michel in an unique interview with hindustantimes.com.

Requested about her first opinion on the house expertise and the league total, Michel is nothing however impressed. Nevertheless, she does elevate an attention-grabbing level, which separates PVL from the opposite leagues performed internationally, earlier than including it “heightens the excitement”.

“The structure of the league is quite condensed. We are used to this eight-month long season. So one of the things that really sticks out to me and to them is how you have to get a lot done in a short period of time. You only have three weeks to really connect with your other teammates, with your setter if you’re a middle or a hitter. And that can be quite stressful, but at times it kind of heightens the excitement as well,” mentioned the Olympian.

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Coming with a wealthy expertise of getting performed the game in a number of nations, Michel in significantly is impressed with India’s publicity to volleyball on the grassroots stage. Nevertheless, she additionally shares an vital piece of recommendation for the budding abilities, which is to keenly observe the professionals and never simply bump the ball round.

“I really suppose India, they do it the best method. We play at picnics or play on the seashore or we play simply amongst pals, however there’s that form of grassroots stage that is rising. And you do not want so much to play volleyball, you simply sort of want a string towards two palm bushes if you wish to play on the most elementary stage.

“So I think the interest is there. And if anyone is wanting to really get into it seriously, I would suggest they should watch volleyball first and foremost. Watch the best of the best because that’s where you can really learn and analyze the game,” she mentioned.

‘Girls’s volleyball league’

Throughout the interplay, Michel additionally mentions that “it’s only been a few years”, since she began devoting herself to males’s volleyball. “I was really into the women’s game before that,” she provides.

Requested her opinion on a separate league for girls, Michel was thrilled to debate the concept, earlier than mentioning that she’ve had comparable dialog with fellow PVL commentators as effectively. “I was actually just having this conversation. I think there’s something similar, right with cricket or another sport.”

She, nevertheless, does not shy from actuality, stating a league solely for girls will depend on the celebrity the boys’s league garners. “See what happens with the men’s league. And then you might launch a Women’s League if there’s success there. I don’t have all the numbers and all the data. But as a volleyball player myself, the excitement level is there, the skill level is there. The product that the PVL has put on for the men’s is incredible. So I have no doubt that could absolutely be successful and be replicated in the Women’s League,” she mentioned.