CHENNAI: As much as the jersey, players, ball and the net, the physical setup is important for any sport to thrive, consistency, motivation, dedication, and determination are equally significant for any sportsperson to succeed. These attributes make have led Kaviya M, Sivapriya C and Ananthi A to be shortlisted for the Under 20 Women’s India Camp (Volleyball), and Prithika S for the Under 18 Women’s India Camp (Volleyball). Staying at the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) hostel, these players wear blue, green and yellow jerseys, tighten their shoelaces and tie their hair into buns as they start their day just as there is a hint of sunrise.
The practice sessions for the day start at 6 am at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai. At this 18mx9m indoor volleyball court, the girls greet their coaches with folded hands and say “Good morning sir!” as the coach reciprocates. After a 10-minute warm-up session, the coach asks “Are you ready girls?” and the players respond “Yes, sir.” For the next three hours, the girls work on their techniques and learn various game tactics. The coach echoes ‘Easy ball, girls easy ball’ and the girls go, ‘adi...adi... (hit,hit)’ as they sweat, run, and fall on the court. Their practice session ends for the day, and the players stretch, the coach asks them to perform a series of exercises to loosen up.
“Last month, 120 participants from across the country were at the trials held at Bengaluru. Thirty were selected from the round and we are among them,” says Ananthi, adding that a 12-member team will be selected to represent the country at the Asian Volleyball Championship. The competition will be held in China and Thailand in July.
The hustle to Chennai
Having played Beach Volleyball International in 2022, Ananthi shares, “My parents are farmers and they live in Madurai. My relatives opposed me when I started showing interest in the sport. But when I was playing my first nationals, they said ‘namba pulla pa idhu’ (this is our daughter) and now they are very encouraging.” Ananthi has played 14 nationals to date.
Ananthi was trained by Thoufiq, her volleyball coach before joining the SDAT hostel. It was he who trained Sivapriya from Theni as well. “We are here because of our coach and the motivation he gave us. When I was not sure of my game, it was him who believed in me and encouraged me to play,” shares Sivapriya, adding that her performance improved during the lockdown leading to her selection to the SDAT hostel.
The coach also helped her overcome her sister’s demise. “I was practising for nationals in 2021 and my mother called to inform me of the demise. At that time, my full focus was on the game. When I went home after a couple of days, Thoufiq sir was with me during the hard times. This is one of the memorable events of my sporting career so far,” points out Sivapriya.
Interestingly, Kaviya’s memorable moment was the same national practice session. “I did not qualify because I did not know how to play short ball and it was at this session that I learnt how to,” she shares. For Prithika, every opportunity she gets is unforgettable and she plans to make the most out of them.
Chennai to China
The Asian Volleyball Championship is the next big chance for the girls, for which they start their day with a notebook that coach Santhosh carries. The book is filled with motivational quotes. “There is a new one every day and he makes us say it 15 times before practice. That boosts our energy,” shares Ananthi. Along with Santhosh, Pandian and Maheshwari train the girls. “Kaliman larundhu eppadi bommaigala uruvakurangalo, enga coach engala uruvakunanga (Like how clay is used to shape dolls, our coaches created who we are),” she points out.
These coaches are present for four sessions — 6 am to 9 am, 10.30 am to noon, 3 pm to 5.30 pm and 6.30 pm to 8.00 pm. “We do not have time to think of ourselves. All our thoughts are about life and soul which is volleyball. It makes us happy,” shares Sivapriya, adding, “Though our concentration is completely on the game, the next move, and how to not give the opponent an easy victory, we also keep looking at the trophy and how to lift it.”
With their eyes locked on the upcoming Asian Volleyball Championship trophy, the girls are confident that they will qualify for the game and win paving the way to fulfil their dream of securing a spot in the national volleyball team.