Technology paves the way

Never in my life did I hear so many spectators chanting my name. It was an overwhelming feeling, said Manidurai Naveen Raja Jacob....

Never in my life did I hear so many spectators chanting my name. It was an overwhelming feeling, said Manidurai Naveen Raja Jacob,middle blocker of an Indian team who created history by beating the US and assuring a place in the top eight of the Youth Volleyball World Championships for the first time. The surprise package of the Indian team has received a lot of inspiration from the Pune crowd,and that,among other things,is the reason for achieving this improbable feat.

According to coach MH Kumaran,a combination of the brains of the Volleyball Federation of India and the brawn of the players hailing from places as diverse as Haryana and Tamil Nadu is responsible for this unprecedented achievement. The ongoing tournament was the first in which the old style of coaching was done away with and the team made liberal use of video analysers and laptops instead.

Technical assistance

We have been able to analyse the match strategies of all our opponents with the help of technology. This has made the difference and helped us reach the quarter-final stage, said Kumaran. He added that the staff still has to learn about data volley,a software which helps analyse the game of each player.

The same video analyser will be used to prepare for Tuesdays match against the Russians whose strengths are rooted in serves and blocks.

Overwhelming turnout

The Indian senior team coach,Shyam Sunder Rao,who has been giving invaluable advice to the team,feels that the successful run of the players coupled with the overwhelming crowd support has given the Indian team a chance to create a volleyball revolution in the country.

It is up to the players to grab this opportunity with both hands and secure a podium finish. A strong performance here will give the federation a good opportunity to build a team for the Olympics, said Rao. He added that his senior team,who are taking part in the qualification round of the World Championships two weeks later,will benefit from the likes of Mandeep Singh,Balwinder Singh and Naveen Raja Jacob.

GE Sridharan,former volleyball coach feels that the door has been opened for more players to play in the top leagues of the Asian nations,thus giving them some much-needed foreign exposure. The coaches and managers of the participating nations are acting as scouts and will recommend players to foreign clubs. If India reach the semi-finals,the number of players playing abroad will be added to the list,which at present has only Mandeep Singh, he said.

Story continues below this ad

Now that the first hurdle has been crossed,the coach wants the team to remain focused in their latest aim of reaching the semi-finals.

When Team India first arrived at the sports complex to take part in the tournament,one could distinctly hear the sound of crickets chirping in between the thumping of the ball and the cries of the players during their practice session.

Two weeks later,there is no such lull as the same hall has seen people thronging the stadium,cheering for their favourite players in practice,some kids even taking autographs of the lanky set of spikers.