GIRLS ON A MISSION

Four volleyball players from the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu hostel have made it to the top 30 in the trials held for the Asian Volleyball Championship. Now, they are training hard in the city’s facility to enter the 12-member team and represent the country

- SONU M KOTHARI

AS much as the jersey, players, ball and the net, the physical setup is important for any sport to thrive, consistency, motivation, dedication, and determination are equally significant for any sportsperson to succeed. These attributes make have led Kaviya M, Sivapriya C and Ananthi A to be shortlisted for the Under 20 Women's India Camp (Volleyball), and Prithika S for the Under 18 Women's India Camp (Volleyball). Staying at the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) hostel, these players wear blue, green and yellow jerseys, tighten their shoelaces and tie their hair into buns as they start their day just as there is a hint of sunrise.

The practice sessions for the day start at 6 am at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Chennai. At this 18mx9m indoor volleyball court, the girls greet their coaches with folded hands and say "Good morning sir!" as the coach reciprocates. After a 10-minute warm-up session, the coach asks "Are you ready girls?" and the players repsond "Yes, sir." For the next three hours, the girls work on their techniques and learn various game tactics. The coach echoes 'Easy ball, girls easy ball' and the girls go, 'adi...adi... (hit, hit)' as they sweat, run, and fall on the court. Their practice session ends for the day, and the players stretch, the coach asks them to perform a series of exercises to loosen up.