A Dribbble to Escape From Drubbing

A resolute coach carries forward the legacy of his late mentor, offering free training camps to aspiring basketball players in Coimbatore city, thereby changing their lives

- N DHAMOTHARAN @Coimbatore

When summer rolls around and the heat makes the city sizzle, beads of sweat drip down the faces of young boys and girls as they continue to dribble the basketball and perfect their throws.

At the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) basketball court in Coimbatore city, a revolution in sports training has been under way for nearly seven decades — free basketball coaching for the city's youth in the summers. These camps were envisioned by late S Venkatakrishnan, a basketball coach with the Coimbatore Sports Council.

"Basketball was limited to Chennai in the 1950s. It was Venkatakrishnan aka Vaathiyar who laid the foundation for the sport in Coimbatore. His efforts to promote basketball among the youth, particularly those from economically weaker sections, led to the birth of these camps," says YMCA chief coach R Syril Irudhayaraj.

"Initially, only club teams played in the YMCA. In 1958, Vaathiyar started the first free summer basketball camp at Variety Hall Road, Town Hall in Coimbatore. Within a few years, the number of students who wished to practice basketball gradually increased."

These free basketball camps have helped push out numerous stars, including hundreds of state and national-level players. Their sports credits have also helped many gain entry into higher education institutions, and even land high-profile government jobs.