Prime Volleyball League: Bruno da Silva excited to play for Chennai Blitz

The Prime Volleyball League (PVL) has given Indian players a chance to brush shoulders with the best in business from around the world. Two foreign players have been drafted into each of the teams to help the league in sustaining quality.

Bruno da Silva, an attacker from Brazil, feels at home being in Chennai Blitz and has 'great expectations' from his team and the league. Ahead of the start of the league, the versatile Brazilian said the team members have made sure that he and Fernando Gonzalez (Chennai's second foreign player) have felt at ease.

"I am feeling great," he said. "The Chennai Blitz team has been very welcoming towards Fernando Gonzalez and myself. I have good expectations from our side because I know that we have a really good team. It's been a very exciting time for us and it's been really good to play with the boys and to hang out with."

Read: Bengaluru's Rohith hopes to become popular through PVL

Football's loss is volleyball's gain

Coming from Brazil, it was only natural for Da Silva to pick up football, but later he veered into volleyball. Divulging details into why he had to leave football, Bruno da Silva said:

"Football is the major sport in Brazil. I used to play football for a B club. Unfortunately, I had to stop playing football as my parents had to move to a place which didn't have a football team.

"Then one day, I went to watch my cousin practice volleyball with her club team and they had a player missing, so they asked me to play," he recalled. "The coach of that team motivated me to start playing volleyball professionally. He told me that I could get anything in life if I put in the time and worked hard."

The attacker said the sport has taken him places and he has now made the United States of America his home.

"I started playing beach and indoor volleyball when I was 16 years old," he said. "I have traveled around the world to play. I met my wife in Switzerland in 2009 and I moved to the United States of America in 2011. I am based in the US now and I play in club tournaments (beach and indoor volleyball) around the world."

The PVL will feature a total of 24 matches and can be watched live on the Sony Sports Network, including in regional languages.