Beach champs on the right track
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R. Madhusudanan, 20, and C. Rajkumar, 21, are flying high these days. Fittingly, the duo’s sport is volleyball in which the ability to defy gravity is intrinsic to success.
Madhu and Rajkumar were members of the Bharathiyar University team that won a bronze medal in the all-India inter-university volleyball tournament conducted at Kurukshetra, Haryana, recently. On Friday, they claimed the national U-21 beach volleyball title at a canter on the Marina. It was the pair’s second national beach crown in succession.
The junior beach champions have been playing together for the last four years. Reaching the quarterfinals of the Asian Youth Games in Singapore in 2010 is the highlight of their promising career.
“We lost to Bahrain 34-36 in the decider. I hope our latest national title will get us more international exposure,” Madhu, a native of Theni, said.
The two youngsters believe that they have the talent and motivation to excel at international level. “We are ready to make sacrifices to leave our mark in the sport. Regular training and exposure will help us realise our dream,” Rajkumar said.
In India, government and public sector units don’t recruit beach volleyball players directly. That is one of the reasons Madhu and Rajkumar aren’t ignoring the six-a-side variety. They can focus more on beach volleyball once they get jobs for their proficiency in six-a-side format.
P. Mohan, one of the most experienced beach volleyball players in India, said Madhu and Rajkumar can reach greater heights if they continue to work hard. “Playing beach volleyball from a young age is a big advantage for them,” he added.
Both Madhu and Rajkumar are students of Sree Saraswathy Thiagarajan College, Pollachi. The institution provides free board, lodging and education to talented sportspersons on its rolls.
Volleyball has strong roots in Pollachi. K. Chellamuthu, joint secretary of the Tamil Nadu State Volleyball Association, said the support of Saraswathy College is crucial to the development of volleyball in Pollachi. “The management has given the go-ahead for a beach court for the benefit of Madhu and Rajkumar,” he added.
According to Chellamuthu, trials are conducted every summer to select trainees for full-time coaching at the college. “We have a tie-up with a school near Pollachi for the education of younger trainees selected from the trials. Rajkumar, whose native place is Sivakasi, has been studying in Pollachi for the last seven years for the sake of his volleyball career,” he said.
Former NLC coach Chandrasekaran Nair is at the helm of the college volleyball team. He has a wealth of experience.
College physical director Bharathy has an abiding interest in the sport. Madhu and Rajkumar are grateful to the support of their coach and PD. “Mr Chellamuthu and TNSVA secretary Mr Martin Sudhakar have also been a great source of motivation,” the crack beach pair said.
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