The Hindu : Sport / Volleyball : Kerala's missed chance to make it doubly sweet

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 26, 2005

Sport

Sport - Volleyball

Kerala's missed chance to make it doubly sweet

By Stan Rayan

KOCHI, JAN. 25. Just three months ago, Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), the country's champion club, could not even line up six fit women for the National Volleyball League. Eventually, the team decided not to defend its league title at Hassan, Karnataka, in December.

And international Gisha Thomas, the mainstay in the Kerala attack, had a knee surgery a few months ago. She did not go all out on her return early this month. Under these circumstances, this was supposed to be one of Kerala's bad seasons in women's volleyball in a long, long time.

But wonder of wonders, Kerala won the senior Nationals in Chennai, the triumph coming after nearly two decades. The team, which had gained the reputation as Indian volleyball's great choker, has quelled the combined challenge of Indian Railway which swept the top three spots at the Hassan National League through South Central, Southern and Central.

Certainly, coach Sunny Joseph has done a great job. A strong motivator, he has managed to bring out the best from his team once again.

For some time now, Southern Railway has been eyeing Kerala's young stars, counter-attacker Aswini S. Kumar and the tall K.T. Betsy, who was adjudged the best blocker at the Youth Asians in Thailand two years ago. They were expected to join the Railway prior to the National League.

Both Aswini and Betsy have been playing as guest stars for the KSEB, hoping that the electricity board would offer them jobs, home postings being the juicy bait.

But since nothing materialised after nearly two years of waiting, the word was that the two would soon be on their way to Chennai. But there seems to be some delay.

Ironically, it was Aswini and Betsy who played a major role in thwarting Railway at the Senior National final in Chennai. Perhaps, this should open the eyes of the Kerala Government and the Kerala Sports Council which have been promising jobs for the State's champion men and women with no action following the juicy words.

The prolonged stay of Aswini and Betsy in Kerala now raises a few uncomfortable questions. Since the two were available for the KSEB (as they had not joined the Railway), did the electricity board err in not sending its team for the National League? Or is there more than meets the eye?

Since the Kerala team, which is virtually the KSEB side, could break the combined challenge of the Railway at the Chennai Nationals, it should have been easier handling the challenge of the three different Railway units.

Kerala could have celebrated a double this season.

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