New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS): The Prime Volleyball League was on Thursday unveiled 'Delhi Toofans' as its ninth franchise team for the tournament.

As the first team from the North, Delhi Toofans, owned by Alok Sanghi, Director of the Sanghi Group, bring a fresh new dimension to the already fiercely competitive league.

The Delhi Toofans have already assembled a strong squad after the auction that took place last week in Bengaluru. With star setter Saqlain Tariq, Anu James and Rohit Kumar in the attack & Universal Manoj Kumar among its stars, Delhi looks to make waves in the league.

"I am delighted to introduce the Delhi Toofans. This is not just a team; it represents our commitment to promoting sports and providing a platform for aspiring athletes. We are looking forward to Season 3, especially after a fantastic start at the auction," said the team owner.

Joy Bhattacharjya, CEO, Prime Volleyball League said: "We are delighted to welcome the Delhi Toofans to our family. It’s wonderful to see the best minds in the business join us in our endeavour to grow and popularize the sport of Volleyball in India."

The Season 2 of the league saw a huge success, simultaneously broadcast in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Malayalam on the Sony Sports Network, Sony Liv and Volleyball World. The matches generated a total cumulative viewership of 206 million, as compared to 133 million from Season 1.

In addition, the season garnered over 5 million fan engagements across various digital platforms, as well as forming massive regional connections through social media.

Season 3 is set to take place in February/March 2024 with the schedule to be announced shortly.

Delhi Toofans Squad: Attackers: Anu James, Santhosh S, Rohit Kumar, Amal K Thomas; Universal: Manoj Kumar, Marco Milovanovic; Libero: Anand K; Blockers: Ayush, Fayis NK, Daniel Aponza; Setters: Janshad U, Saqlain Tariq