By: Dr. Mohammad Salman Murtuza, Asstt. Editor-ICN Sports
LUCKNOW: The Volleyball that used to be a neglected game has now certainly begun to hold its own an almost incredible level.Having become a cult, many followers and enthusiasts, it ‘gets into the blood’ of the players and spectators alike to such an extent that very nearly every boy and girl, who gets an opportunity,wants to have a try-out at it. The reason lies in the fact that it is not difficult for a beginner to understand the fundamentals or to learn to basic skills, for it is not as subtle as game like Cricket or Hockey. It is simple and no complicated and has its own appeal for the higher values of sports and recreation.
With the renaissance of Indian sport at a high level, Volleyball ascends to a position above the par of many other games, for at present, competitions and coaching schemes are regularly organized in the country affording general encouragement and facility to the sport –minded youth. While training facilities in India may be considered inferior to what is currently at hand in the affluent nations, the facts remains that the present day sportsman is sharing and enjoying fast developing conveniences which are in a continual process of elevation in standard.
Since the techniques in Volleyball too are developing at a break-neck speed, it is vitally important to keep in touch with advancing trends in the field of this whole some team sport. Volleyball is an excellent all round team sport, and it has been widely accepted as a highly competitive and recreational game throughout the world. It is interesting to note that the speed of a powerfully spiked ball in the game of volleyball is about 45 meters per second which is much faster than the movement of the ball in most other games. The games offer a development of strength, speed, endurance, flexibility, agility, explosive power and neuro-muscular skills and contribution of all parts of the body by the actions involved in the game, such as running, jumping, bending, stretching and other movements which call for balance and poise.
The game situation demand coordinated team work, instilling in every player in a sense of personal group responsibility by his individual performance and his ability to combine with the rest of the team.It is a game easy to learn, and since there is no body contact between opponents, there is a little danger of serious injuries. The game requirement only a small playing area and the equipment needed is within the reach of all income groups. Because of its usefulness to both sexes, there are great opportunities for healthy and sound social contacts among men and women of all races.
A HISTORY OF VOLLEYBALL IN INDIA
The game volleyball was introduced in India by the Y.M.C.A. during the early part of the 20th century. India. . The game of Volleyball was brought to India more than 70 years ago when some Physical Education teachers who had been abroad, were trained in different games including Volleyball. The Y.M.C.A. college of Physical Education at Madras was one of the first institutions to take up Volleyball and the physical education teachers trained there have taken the game to almost all parts of the Indian sub-continent. The students trained here took the sport to other parts of the country.
The formation of V.F.I. has been one of the main factors in the development and popularization of the game of Volleyball in India. Today game play throughout the length and breadth of the country schools, colleges, universities, stadiums, public play grounds and in villages and rural areas. The popularity of the game is increasing day by day in all the states of the country. The number of tournaments, championships, competitions and coaching’s camps conducted throughout the year are a clear indication that it has taken deep root on Indian soil. Volleyball is one of the games for inter-school and inter-collegiate championships in many places and inter-university and north-zone inter-university championships are held every year.
The Volleyball Federation of India was formed in the year 1951. Prior to the formation of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI), the game was controlled by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and at that time the Interstate Volleyball Championship was held every two years from 1936 to 1950 for men only. The first Championship was held in the year 1936 at Lahore (now in Pakistan). In 1951, Volleyball Federation of India was formed and its first meeting was held in Ludhiana (Punjab).
Since the formation of the V.F.I. the Indian team started to participate in World Championships, Asian Games, Asian Championship, Commonwealth Championship and many other International Tournaments held in India and abroad. India won the Gold medal at the Invitation Asian Meet at Japan in 1955. Volleyball comprises energetic body movements as well as rapid jumps and leaps. Being a fairly affordable sport, volleyball is played in all parts of the country around the year.
Volleyball in India is played by several educational institutions and the armed forces also. The Indian Volleyball team secured third place and the bronze at the Asian games in 1958 at Tokyo, the year in which the game was first introduced in the event. In the third and fourth Asian Games held at Tokyo in 1958 and Djakarta in 1962, India won the bronze and silver medal respectively. India got a major setback when no player was honored with the Arjuna Award from 1963 to 1971.
The Indian volleyball team, who finished second in the World U-19 Volleyball championship in Thailand, arrives at IGI airport, New Delhi, on Monday. India also did not take part in any class of competition from 1964 to 1973. In the year 1974 when India participated in the Asian Games at Tehran it got 5th place and it was felt that India had lagged behind. In the year 1980 in the first Commonwealth Games for Men, India got 3rd place in the Championships. Moreover the Indian team won many matches against visiting teams in India and also out of India in International meets.
The Volleyball Federation of India has quickly fallen in line with the World body’s desire to popularize the game by promoting club volleyball. India is among half a dozen Asian countries putting this variety of league in place. The preliminary phase of the National Volleyball League Club Championship was spread across different centers culminating in a Final League. This new platform has given Club volleyball a fresh lease of life. For these clubs there is now this national pride to play for, greater exposure and recognition coming in its wake. Some of the top clubs in the country jumped into the bandwagon.
In India, the game is played both indoors and outdoors. The volleyball courts in India are generally 18 meters long and 9m wide. It is split into 2 halves, each 9m in length. The net is 2.43 and 2.24 m above ground level for men and women respectively. There is an attack line 3m from and parallel to the net. This is for the teams to split their formations into a front and back row sub-teams. Each team has 6 players, and the sport in India adheres to all international standards.
The popularity of the game in India shot to better heights when India won the gold medal at the SAF (South Asian Federation) games in 1987 at Calcutta. IN the 1989 version of the game, India lost the finals to arch rivals Pakistan. The Indian team clinched the gold medal again in 1991 at Colombo. After this, the women’s game started gaining popularity. Though they put up a good show in the 1993 SAF games at Dhaka, the women’s team is yet to make an impact as big as the means team.
Many Indian players received the Arjuna award for their contribution to the game. Jimmy George, the best ever Indian volleyball player. Some of them include, Palaniswamy(1961), Nripjit Singh (1962), Balwant Singh(1972) after a 10 year gap, Malini Reddy, ShyamSundar Rao, Ellamma, Jimmy George etc. Jimmy George in particular was a very talented individual. He was the first Indian player to become a professional and was also regarded as one of the best ten players in the world in his time. Sadly though, he met a bad end dying in a crash in Italy.
The Indian junior teams have also impressed. They reached the World Championships in 2002 and in 2003, in the presence of about 7000 home fans in the newly constructed stadium at Vishakhapatnam; the team clinched the Asian title. Indian volleyball witnessed its best in the year 2003, when the Indian team won an Asian Games title at the Rajiv Gandhi Port indoor stadium in Vishakhapatnam. The Indian junior team also qualified for the World Championship at the end of the year 2002. It won the Asian Games in Iran in 2010.Volleyball in India, Indian Athletics Though the performance of the team has been fairly consistent over a long time, they have not been able to get the required limelight and sponsorship to propel the sport forward in India. The rural teams have shown tremendous talent, but sadly there is not much scope for them. They lack exposure and hence that talent never comes to the fore. Better technological and scientific methods need to be introduced in the coaching to ensure sustenance of better results.
TO BE CONTINUED……
