Italy’s SuperLega Credem Banca side Pallavolo Padova and India’s RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23 club Hyderabad Black Hawks have announced a strategic and innovative partnership that aims to support the technical development of the Indian team.

Backed by the extensive knowledge of Padova executives in volleyball management, the Black Hawks will enter a technical exchange program with the Italians that will work to develop India's first world-class coaching certification program and youth training infrastructure, besides also involving player exchange.

“Our alliance with Pallavolo Padova signifies a meeting point of two distinct volleyball cultures, offering a gateway for mutual learning and growth,” said Hyderabad Black Hawks Principal Owner Abhishek Reddy Kankanala. “As we unite our strengths, we aim to make the sport more inclusive and exciting, further solidifying the bond with our fans. Through shared expertise and cultural exchange, we envision this collaboration enhancing our team’s performance and driving the development of volleyball in our regions.”

The agreement unites the Italian volleyball system, arguably the most traditional and developed in international volleyball, and the Indian volleyball market, which is among the fastest-rising on the planet and that will host the 2023 and 2024 FIVB Men’s Club World Championships.

Padova, who have been part of the Italian first division since 2014-2015, will also benefit from the Black Hawks’ strong presence in the massive Indian market. The club is established in a region of 85 million inhabitants that have demonstrated a growing interest in volleyball since the creation of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League, two years ago.

“With this strategic partnership, we want to increase our brand awareness within the Indian market,” Pallavolo Padova’s president Giancarlo Bettio remarked. “Our executives are strongly pursuing a policy of internationalization, convinced that Italian volleyball, of which Pallavolo Padova represents excellence, can be a reference point for other markets who have less tradition and success in our sport. In turn, we want to improve, be inspired and learn from the dynamism expressed by a reality like that of the Black Hawks, at the forefront of marketing and the future vision of sports as a unique and increasingly exciting and interactive spectacle with the fan base.”