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A life by the rules
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The dedication of volleyball referees A. Ananda and C. Venugopal is a fine example to youngsters in the game
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— Photo: Murali Kumar K.
Venu(left) and Ananda came into volleyball under contrasting circumstances.
TWO DISTINCTLY different personalities, but one passion in life — volleyball. That's referees A. Ananda and C. Venugopal for you. They could well be called the Laurel and Hardy of state volleyball. Be it a club-level tournament, the State league or a national championship, the fit-as-a-fiddle Ananda and the roly-poly Venu cannot be missed. But their foray into officiating volleyball matches happened under contrasting circumstances.
Forty-three-year-old Ananda, employed with the Control Quality Assurance Electronics (CQAL) on sports quota, played for the State at both junior and senior level for six years. Having donned the State colours for the first time at the junior nationals in Thiruvananthapuram in 1984, Ananda went on to represent Karnataka in three youth and south zone championships before gaining his senior State colours in 1987 at the Bhilai national championship.
The following year, Ananda did make the team for the Mumbai nationals and then represented his company in the State league until the call for referees came in 1992. "The association was undergoing a revamp back then and wanted senior players to take up officiating. That's when it struck me that I could continue in the sport that I enjoyed playing," says Ananda. Having passed the State referee exams in 1992, he graduated to the national level at the Chennai Nationals in 1995 and has been a regular at the national circuits and championships ever since.
The story of Venu (as he is popularly called in volleyball circles) is an altogether different one. "I was a school and club level player, and even in that tender age, I would take up the task of conducting matches in the absence of any seniors or officials. So naturally when the time came, I decided to make it my profession. For me officiating volleyball matches is a full-time job and my association has been very kind and forthcoming in promoting my cause for all the major events," says the chirpy Venu.
Venu got his State referees badge in 1983-84 but waited till 1990-91 to clear his national level exam and the duo since 1995 have not missed a single national championship. "The seven year gap to fulfil my national referees exam was mainly due to family commitments. Once I became a national level referee I did not want anything to come in my way," says Venu.
Venu, also 43, is soft-spoken and a good reader of the game, while Ananda in his own uncanny style controls the play with a curt whistle. And the two in unison, officiating a match, ensure that there are no glitches.
K. Nandakumar, the Karnataka Volleyball Association (KVA) Secretary, is all praise for the duo. "Both are totally committed and have a sound reputation both at the State and national level. Since both have played volleyball at a certain level, they understand the sentiments of the players, which in turn, enables them to give the correct verdict. They have been very neutral all these years. But for the age factor (International Federation stipulates that referee's should appear for the exams before the age of 40) and lack of communication skills they could have been international referees," feels Nandakumar.
Regarding the changes that have come into the game in respect to the rules and playing conditions both Ananda and Venu answer in chorus: "The game has now become spectator friendly and good for television. Earlier each match would go on for hours. Moreover, the popularity of the game is increasing in India too and that augurs well. However, it's time that big corporates step into the sport and make it more lucrative."
When questioned about the standard of the game and the best championship that the two have officiated in, they say: "Chautala National Championship in 2002, with the State Government sponsoring the entire tournament, was easily the best organised. But KVA has been doing wonderfully well of late, promoting the game as well as unearthing talent. Karnataka ranks alongside Tamil Nadu in producing players and is second to none in the organisational front."
The two have in their own way set a trend and it is for the younger generation to take up the mantle now. "We will both be available as long as our association wants us to serve the game. That's our way of saying thank you for what we are today," they say.
AVINASH NAIR
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