KOCHI: The future of a large number of volleyball players from Kerala, plying their trade in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, is in limbo as the Tamil Nadu State Volleyball Association (TNSVA) has decided to ban players from other states from participating in the tournaments conducted by them.
In the volleyball association’s general body meeting, held recently, it was decided that players from other states would not be allowed to participate in any tournament conducted by the association, with immediate effect.
As many as 29 volleyball players who have represented Kerala and other districts in various age levels are currently enrolled in educational institutions across Tamil Nadu.
Chennai’s Jeppiaar Engineering College and SRM Institute of Science and Technology have six Kerala girls each in their sides while Sri Krishna Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, and Sree Saraswathi Thyagaraja College, Pollachi, have four men each in theirs.
“For years, players from Kerala have been making their presence felt in Tamil Nadu volleyball and have represented the state in tournaments, including the nationals. This unjust decision is a huge blow to many who have enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Tamil Nadu and whose careers more or less depend on the opportunities they get during their three-four years’ stay there,” says E K Kishore
Kumar, former India international.