BENGALURU: It is always intriguing for any sport-lover to know about a conversation between sports legends. David Lee, the coach for Bengaluru Torpedoes, the city’s official volleyball team, who caught up with Sunil Chettri, captain of Bangalore FC – just before facing the Chennai team at Sree Kanteerava Stadium recently – reveals that it was about knowing more about each’s sport.
“Sunil Chettri was very nice. He wants to come to one of our training sessions as he loved volleyball as a kid. To which I said, ‘You want to come to my training? I will put you through one intense session’,” says a Lee in a playful tone.
When we catch up with Lee, it’s a day off from training for the upcoming Prime Volleyball League on Feb 14, happening in Chennai. The stress is just setting in along with the season. “It’s exciting, but also very stressful. Our pre-season is going great. Our team looks much better than the last season, a better defensive and all-round team in general. We got a few upgrades from the foreign players but I’m excited to see what we can do this season,” explains Lee.
In the previous season, Bengaluru Torpedoes settled as runners-up, as they lost the trophy to Ahmedabad Defenders. But this time, Lee affirms the team looks stronger than ever. “Our captain Pankaj (Sharma) has been our most stable player over the years. We have a lot of young players, one of our middles, Srajan U Shetty is still a junior who is up-and-coming for the league,” says the three-time Olympian.
Eyeing the trophy this time, Lee is keeping a close watch on other teams too. “It’s going to be the same team that has been in the finals in the last few years, and that’s Kolkata and Ahmedabad. But I, honestly, think the whole league is going to be balanced. Last year, I didn’t think we had as strong a team as we do this year. This league is very unpredictable, especially with the format but I have high hopes for this team,” says a hopeful Lee.
One mission is to put volleyball in the same league as other sports. Lee has seen a growing interest among youngsters in this sport.
“We brought in a bunch of kids from local schools and gave them a background in volleyball. So I think bringing them in and having them meet these pros and see them in training is a great way to establish ourselves as a growing sport. You try to reach the youth who have been interacting with our pros and see what they can do. There’s a professional league in India that can be a part of it if they hone their skills,” says Lee, who is looking forward to the league where they will be facing Kolkata Thunderbolts.