Playing Nepal and Bhutan won't help: Sridharan Urges India to face Asia's best in volleyball

New Delhi, Jul 9 (PTI) India are failing to win medals at continental tournaments or qualify for the World Championships and Olympics despite having immense potential because of poor planning and a lack of opportunities to compete against Asia's top volleyball nations, according to Dronacharya Award-winning coach G E Sridharan. The 72-year-old argued that India continue to play mostly lower-ranked teams, limiting the players' growth and international competitiveness. "If you play against the likes of Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka all the time, what do you expect?" Sridharan told PTI on the sidelines of the launch of the Volleyball Champions League. "Why don't we try to play friendlies and matches against the top volleyball-playing nations in Asia? China, Korea, Iran, Japan and Qatar are not only the best in Asia but also among the top 20 teams in the world." The Arjuna Awardee, who was a member of India's bronze medal-winning team at the 1986 Asian Games, said that success at the continental level was built on consistently competing against elite opponents. "Why did we win the bronze medal at those Asian Games and never again? Because before that, we played around 20 matches against China, Japan and Iran. We lost many times to China, and then one day we beat them. That was the gain. But we failed to build on those gains," he recalled. Sridharan believes India possess all the attributes needed to succeed but have struggled to maximise their potential. "We have very good knowledge. We have very good height. We have very good potential. We have very good agility and speed. We have everything. What we need is to know how to sell our product. I have seen the best performance of my team. As a coach and as a player, I have seen it." He stressed that the biggest drawback for Indian volleyball is the lack of international exposure. "Indian volleyball players are suffering because they haven't participated in enough tournaments. Before the Asian Games, you need to play at least 30 to 40 international matches. We lack exposure, and the boys simply aren't getting enough international games." Sridharan added that sustained success requires long-term planning backed by all stakeholders. "It's not possible to make a plan for success within one or two months. It has to be a long-term plan with strong government support. The federation has to be involved. Everybody has to work together. We also have veterans, Arjuna Awardees and Dronacharya Awardees. Those who played in my time have extraordinary knowledge and ability," he noted. Despite the challenges, Sridharan insisted India must continue striving to compete with the world's best. "Only 12 countries compete in volleyball at the Olympics, while the World Championship features just 24 teams. That makes qualification extremely difficult. But we have to fight, we have to come back, win medals at the Asian Games and the Asian Championship, and qualify for the Olympics and the World Championship." However, he believes there are encouraging signs that Indian volleyball is moving in the right direction. "Our team won the bronze medal at the AVC Cup in Ahmedabad, and the boys have also performed well in previous editions. In 2010, they won bronze in Urmia, Iran, and in 2014, they won silver in Kazakhstan. That shows we have plenty of potential." On the unveiling of the VCL, he said: "Unveiling this Volleyball Champions League is a great honor for us because introducing something new always aids volleyball's development. "Because of this league many new budding players will emerge, many youngsters will participate and within a few years you will see the result. Our teams will bounce back. Within two years, our team will qualify for the Olympics, perhaps placing 32nd or 36th," he concluded. PTI SR APA APA