KOCHI: Sitting under the shade of a mango tree at the Government Boys HSS in North Paravur, the Manipur players seemed to be unaffected by the searing heat of the summer sun. They were teasing each other and taking selfies, accompanied by giggles. They were here for the 43rd National Junior Volleyball Championship set to begin on Wednesday.
In contrast, the team’s coach Ch Sanajaoba Singh and head coach N Jiten Singh wore a worried look. They had an issue, something that has been worrying teams from the Northeast ever since they started participating in competitive volleyball tournaments — height.
Compared to other teams, players from the Northeast are diminutive and that has been hurting their prospects in the senior level. For example, Manipur have a decent squad in the mini and sub-junior categories and results are worth lauding. They finished runners-up in the last edition of the mini nationals in Madhya Pradesh. But as the team graduates to the junior and the senior categories, height comes into play and they end up failing.
“Manipur have a dearth of tall volleyball players and that’s why we fare badly in junior and senior circuits. Our boys play well, are good technically. But since required height isn’t there, they tend to perform badly in higher age groups,” said Sanajaoba.
The tallest player in the current team has a height of 190 cm, which is an exception. The average height is 179 cm. In a sport where even six-footers are viewed as lesser mortals, the Manipuri players are mere specks.
Though there has always been players who have broken the proverbial glass ceiling with their height and game, they were immediately drafted into the Services, thereby making them ineligible to play for the state.
Defending champs in the biennial Northeast Sports Festival, Manipur have felt let down by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). Though the Imphal centre of SAI is operational, they don’t provide volleyball training. “If you look at other sports, Manipuris are on top. But not in volleyball. Our players can jump but height is a disadvantage.” said Jiten.
Apart from height, frayed relationship between different sections also make matters worse. Jiten, who is also joint secretary with All Manipur Volleyball Association, said that Naga population has some of the best volley talents. But because of the growing sectarian divide, they are unwilling to play for Manipur. “We’ve seen how well they play. Even during the Naga festival, 40-45 volleyball teams participate. But when asked to join Manipur, they are reluctant,” said Jiten.
shan.as@newindianexpress.com