Coimbatore Volleyball Academy on the right track
Senior India coach G.E. Sridharan sharing his experience to the Kovai Volleyball Academy wards at Sri Krishna Arts and Science College in Coimbatore.Nine months since its inception and the Kovai Volleyball Academy (KVA) has started to reap rich rewards. The dominating presence of its players in the ninth national youth volleyball championship at Vatakara is a classic example.Add to it the offers for its players from teams such as Navy and ONGC, to name a few.If KVA is acting as a contributing factor to the State team in such a short period of time it is mainly because of its planning and hard work. Every training hour for its players is planned well in advance. The president of the Academy, R. Govindarajulu, works in tandem with the coaches in monitoring the boys, who feel at home at the Sri Krishna College of Arts and Science.The College, which is backing the efforts of the Academy in a big way, is extremely pleased with the progress. "Without the support of Sri Krishna we certainly wouldn't have climbed this faster," says Mr. Govindarajulu.
He says the college is planning an indoor stadium as well. "It's good for the game as well as the Academy. The boys are indeed lucky. They understand that as well. They know they wouldn't have enjoyed all these facilities if they had joined elsewhere," adds the senior administrator. Senior India coach G.E. Sridharan and former international star V.C. Ramalingam say the boys, who represented the State at the Vatakara nationals, were selected purely based on their performance. "It was there for all to see at Vatakara."
The lucky boys to have made it to Vatakara representing Tamil Nadu were Madan Kumar and Pandiaraj (attackers), Subash Kumar (Universal), Lijo Joseph (blocker) and Hema Kumar (setter/attacker).For the record, two other players K.P. Shaheem and Gautam Raj have also caught the attention of the people. The former represented Tamil Nadu in the senior nationals at Chattisgarh (Raipur) and National Games at Guwahati and the latter a berth for the sub-junior nationals.
"KVA is here to help the Tamil Nadu boys team, right from the sub-junior to the senior level. Its contribution will further boost the image of Tamil Nadu at the national level," says Mr. Sridharan, and assures that by next year the Academy will shoot to the national level. Mr. Govindarajulu says it is teamwork that is working wonders. "It's not only the college and the coaches who are working for the welfare of the Academy but also PSG Hospitals. "As promised they are giving high-level care for our injured boys. They don't compromise on quality for the sake of offering free treatment."
He says the Academy is not aiming for medals or bouquets. "We are more concerned about the future of the boys. We want them to excel in both sports and studies."To give it a professional touch this year, the Academy plans to conduct specific seminars for setters and blockers. "We will bring in Volleyball Federation of India experts to do the job for us, and it will sure benefit the boys in a big way," says Sridharan.He feels that if there are at least six such academies in the country then the future will be bright for the sport.
