It has been greater than a decade since India final gained medals within the U-18 and U-20 Asian males’s volleyball championships. August 2022 marked the primary time that India gained medals in each in the identical 12 months.
In Tehran on August 22, India defeated South Korea 3-2 to win bronze on the Asian males’s U-18 Volleyball Championships. Seven days later in Bahrain, India misplaced to Iran 1-3 and completed with silver on the Asian males’s U-20 Volleyball Championship. Because of their performances, the groups certified for the U-19 and U-21 World Championships subsequent 12 months.
The U-20 workforce which inspired had gamers from the workforce which completed tenth within the U-19 World Championship final 12 months. Coach of the senior nationwide workforce G. E. Sridharan feels many members of this workforce are expert sufficient to be potential India gamers.
‘ Pace and sync’
“After securing tenth within the worlds, I moulded them a bit and helped them enhance. Within the camp, I may see their leaping means and velocity enhancements. That is what is required — velocity and sync. They improved a lot that I may see some gamers enjoying on the senior degree in future.”
The camp, as Sridharan remembers, was a variety trial for each the U-18 and U-20 groups and held at KIIT College, Bhubaneswar. Round 66 boys joined the U-18 trials, and round 80 joined the U-20 trials. Twenty and 18 boys, respectively, had been chosen, after which the sector was additional pruned to 12 every. Whereas the U-20 workforce received a chance to play the 2022 AVC Cup for males in Thailand, the U-18 workforce didn't have a lot worldwide publicity earlier than the Asian Championships.
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Dr Bir Singh Yadav, the U-18 workforce coach and an India coach with over 20 years of expertise, says, “Although the U-18 and U-20 groups had been coaching on the similar location, we educated individually. However we did play matches collectively in the course of the camp. After we first performed towards the U-20 workforce, we misplaced 3-1. Throughout the second match, we tied 2-2. The boys regained their confidence with that consequence. Virtually none of them have worldwide publicity; some didn't even participate within the Nationals resulting from Covid-19. So, expertise and their play compared with the variety of video games they performed was additionally a key issue of their choice.”
Heyday
Successful medals in Asian tournaments just isn't new to India. Maybe India’s greatest win in volleyball was in 1986, when India gained the bronze medal within the Asian Video games.
Sridharan was part of that workforce with many others, together with P. V. Ramana, the daddy of two-time Olympic medallist P. V. Sindhu. Whereas Ramana is extra focussed on badminton as of late, he does reminisce the times when he performed volleyball. He says the bronze medal-winning workforce he was part of was “top-of-the-line volleyball groups India had.”
“These days, we had a superb workforce with gamers corresponding to Jimmy George, Cyril, Sandeep and Uday (Okay. Udayakumar), who was my favorite participant; sadly, he handed away. The gamers had been dedicated, wished to show themselves, give their finest and with workforce effort, we may win the bronze,” says Ramana.
The Indian workforce in motion in the course of the Asian U-20 Championships in Bahrain. India defeated Japan however couldn’t overcome Iran within the closing. | Picture Credit score: Particular Association
Ramana’s easy recommendation to those that wish to take up volleyball as a profession is: “Work arduous and carry out so effectively that selectors have a tough time in the course of the trials.”
Morale booster
After India’s nervy 3-2 loss towards Japan, Yadav was stunned to see the U-18 workforce take down South Korea — the runner-up within the final version of the match.
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“I used to be stunned when our workforce defeated Korea in straight units (3-0). It was a one-sided match. This raised the workforce morale and instilled confidence within the workforce.”
To Sridharan’s shock, the U-20 workforce defeated Japan 3-1 in its first match. Sridharan was, nonetheless, upset with India’s loss within the closing. He believes India may have gained gold if the fourth set had gone its manner.
The Indians obtained particular person awards within the competitions: Kush Singh and Aryan Baliyan had been adjudged one of the best center blocker and reverse, respectively, within the U-18 competitors. Within the U-20 match, Dushyant Singh, the captain, and Okay. Karthikeyan gained one of the best blocker and libero awards, respectively. The coaches lauded them and thought of them key to the workforce’s podium end.
“Earlier than this match, Kush had not even performed the Nationals. Nevertheless, he was one of many predominant causes we gained the matches, as he gained a number of essential factors. Aryan, who was an reverse, additionally impressed me. At first, he was an attacker, however we moulded him to change into an reverse for the match, which proved to be a great transfer,” says Yadav.
Coach Bir Singh Yadav is lifted by members of India’s U-18 workforce in the course of the Asian U-18 Championship. The workforce had gained significantly by enjoying follow matches towards the U-20 workforce in Bhubaneswar. | Picture Credit score: Particular Association
Other than Dushyant’s captaincy and Karthikeyan’s efficiency as a libero, it was the efficiency of Sameer Chaudhary that caught Sridharan’s eye. “Sameer, who as a setter is enjoying very effectively on this age group, has a vibrant future and might play for the senior degree sooner or later.”
Abroad journeys wanted
Each coaches hoped the Indian authorities would facilitate abroad journeys for the gamers to realize worldwide publicity. This, they are saying, would assist them win the upcoming Asian Video games and qualify for the 2024 Olympics.
“We're working on a decent schedule until December, beginning with the Nationwide Video games, the U-21 nationals and Senior Nationals, after which trials and camp for the World Championships will happen,” factors out Sridharan.
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