KOZHIKODE: It is a reunion that has been sixteen years in the making!
When Kerala’s volley stars line up at the V K K Menon Indoor Stadium for their opening game against Punjab on Monday, it will be an overwhelming moment for Tom Joseph. The former India captain, who was given the Arjuna award last year, grew up playing at the venue and will be playing there for the first time since the turn of the millennium!
“That court is where I started my volley career. I learnt the nuances of the sport there as part of the Kozhikode Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre and I have not played there since 1999. It sure will be an emotional moment when I return there,” Tom told City Express on Thursday, from Trichy, where he was part of the Kerala team that crashed out in the semifinals of the Federation Cup.
A lot has changed for Tom since he last played here. The wiry young man, who then had made his debut for India just a couple of years ago, has since gone on to become one of the best players the country has ever produced, compared even to the legendary Jimmy George. But the biggest change came last July when Tom was awarded the country’s highest sporting honour.
“I have not played in a major home tournament for Kerala since that award and it is perhaps only fitting that I am coming back to the place where it all started for me. We are looking to avenge the semifinal exits we suffered at the hands of Tamil Nadu in both the national championships and the Federation Cup and we will need the crowd with us,” Tom said.
It is not just Tom that volley fans from the city can call their own. Two others from the Kerala team - M T Azeez and Vipin George - are from Kozhikode, while Manu Joseph is a product of the SAI centre here. Tom is all praise for the role the SAI centre has played in the development of numerous players over the years and hopes that the youngsters here get better facilities to train with. “We have a lot of young players there with a great deal of potential. I hope they get a proper place to practise and other training facilities so that they can make this city proud in the future,” he said.