Spikers from Andamans join fray to find place in the sun

After 50 hours on boat (ship from Port Blair to Chennai) and another day’s train journey, a team from Andaman and Nicobar islands made ...

After 50 hours on boat (ship from Port Blair to Chennai) and another day’s train journey, a team from Andaman and Nicobar islands made it to the senior national volleyball scene here.

This is the first time in the tournament’s 54-year-history that a squad from the islands has arrived to participate.

More importantly, they are recovering from the ravages of the tsunami. Player G. Vijay Balan has been living in a shelter since his Little Andaman home was washed away by the tsunami, but his enthusiasm in travelling afar to play the game was undiminished. “Log saat samundar paar aajate hai khelne ke liye (People travel across seven seas to play sport). This is nothing,” he said.

“It took eight hours by boat for my local team (Little Andaman) to reach Port Blair where the tournaments are held,” says Balan, “and we are actually closer compared to others,” he adds.

“Travelling is the major hindrance,” says VA Shiyad, manager of the Andaman squad. “But the trouble can be reduced with proper government support. We have had only half-hearted support so far, with no funds until the last minute. That’s why players from Nicobar and far off areas could not make it,” he says, adding that financial assistance was not enough for the women’s team to participate simultaneously.

Andaman coach D Sathyarajan says the squads have been ready for over six Years, but last minute cancellations delayed the team’s debut until this year. “People have been playing the game for years. It’s very popular even in tribal areas since it costs little — both in money and space,” he says.

At their accommodation in Pune, the Andaman team found as neighbours another Union Territory which shares this popularity of the game, though it’s disjointed districts also separated by vast distances, involves day-long train journeys by players to reach venues. Pondichery might as well be islands on land, with its domain also including Mahe (in Kerala), Karaikal (in TN) and Yanam (in AP). The volleyball scene encompasses 50 clubs spread across all the regions.

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“Forget cricket or hockey. Volleyball is more popular, especially in the rural areas,” says Pondichery women’s team coach S. Venugopal. “You will find one volleyball club in every village,” he adds.

“Most of our state players are from the rural areas,” says Venugopal. “There is a lot of talent, but no jobs. So good players move on to other states,” he says adding that Pondichery players like PS Srikant who went on to represent the country, are famous even in villages.