2 weeks Ago By Manisha V C S
It was a nippy November evening in 1955. The venue was the Infant Jesus High School ground in Vazhakulam, a small town near Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam district. A team from Delhi was taking on the local St George club in a showpiece game of volleyball.
The makeshift gallery was packed, despite the fact that tickets were priced at 10 ana and 6 ana, not an insignificant amount back then. It was the golden era of Indian volleyball. Earlier in the year, the national team had won the Asian Championships in Tokyo, which also played host to the country’s bronze-winning performance at the 1958 Asian Games.
The Delhi squad comprised national-level players such as Sath Prakash, N N Chadha, Mohanlal, and others, while the Vazhakulam club boasted the likes of V J Joseph, T P P Nair and K C S Narayan, who were then part of the Indian Air Force team. In a high-intensity match that saw the teams trading spikes, blocks and digs, St George got the better of their more-fancied opponents, much to the delight of spectators. Established in 1942, St George, one of the oldest volleyball clubs in the state, if not in the country, is now taking the lead in reviving youngsters’ interest in the sport.
It has been organising free training facilities and camps every year, except for a three-year hiatus during the pandemic. The club opened a modern indoor stadium in 2022, thanks to funding from the local panchayat and money mobilised by club members, says Thomas Varghese, the club’s current president. That same year, the club organised its largest coaching camp, which saw the participation of over 160 children.
Thomas attributes the club’s early success to players such as John Nedungat, Joseph Scaria, and N M Luka, who helped popularise the game in Vazhakulam. “It must have been the simplicity of the game and the landscape of the village that saw volleyball gain popularity in Vazhakulam. All you needed were two wooden poles, a net, a ball and a little space unlike other major sports.
The game suited the hilly terrain of Vazhakulam,” says Paul Vadakekkara, a former international and current member of the club. A number of established players including V J Joseph and Beena Varghese learned the ropes of the game in Vazhakulam. “There are very few Indian players who have not been associated with the Vazhakulam club in one way or another.
Stalwarts like T P P Nair, Jimmy George, Tom Joseph, T J Varghese, Pappan Varapuzha, Cyril C Velloor have all played at our club at least once in their career,” recounts Thomas. Paul’s brother and former state and university player Jacob Vadakkekara was also associated with the club from childhood. “Club tournaments were festive occasions.
Beyond the game, the venue provided youngsters with an avenue for socialising,” he points out. “Volleyball is no longer popular with youngsters. This had affected the club.
We hope recent developments, including the new stadium, will help us revive the spirit of the game in our town,” adds Jacob, who is now a volleyball coach with the State Sports Council. Former national captain and Dronacharya award winner T P P Nair has fond recollections of representing the Vazhakulam club -- the 1955 match against the Delhi team. “I was a part of the Air Force team, when my captain V J Joseph invited me to play for his home club.
They were hosting a team from Delhi and wanted players who could help the local club put up a good fight. That was my only association with Vazhakulam. We played well and won the match,” remembers Nair.
Nair was spotted by Joseph in 1951, during a training session. Impressed by his powerful spiking, Nair was inducted into the IAF team and went on to became one of the greatest players the country has produced..
