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Beach boys make a splash
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Together they created history by winning the gold at the Barcelona beach volleyball competition. The hours of practice on the sands of the Marina contributed to the success, say Sunil and Sreesh.
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FOR P. P. Sunil Kumar and T. K. Sreesh, life as volleyball players changed dramatically after they came together to pursue a common interest — beach volleyball. It was as though fate had ordained that they should take to this sport. The two, who work with the Cochin Customs, were regulars in the formidable Kerala volleyball team and would have remained that way. But a chance visit to Goa last year at the invitation of a common friend changed the whole scenario. "We spent a lot of time on the beaches and played volleyball and suddenly it struck us, why not take to this seriously," said Sreesh with a sparkle in his eyes. That turned out to be a momentous decision.
For, the two were best suited to be a strong pair in this version because of their overall abilities. Besides, Sunil is a left-hander and that helped develop a left-right combination, which can be so handy in a competition of teams of two players each. Said Jose Varghese, who coaches them in the Central Excise and Customs team, "what makes the combination of Sunil and Sreesh special is that both are well equipped in terms of agility, defence and attack. In addition is the fact that one is a left-hander, enough to deceive the opponent." That the two can hold their own came into view in the Tuticorin National Championship in May when the pair won the title.
That signalled the start of exciting times for Sunil and Sreesh. Suddenly, the Kerala lads began searching for a place to sharpen their skills. The scenic setting in Fort Kochi with the backwaters as the backdrop formed the place for the two to practise but what they missed was strong competition so necessary to test their wares. But keeping trim was their prime priority and towards that end they left no stone unturned.
The selection, after an elaborate process, to represent their parent department — Central Excise and Customs — in the World Police and Fire Games (a biennial event held for the law enforcing departments in the various countries) came as the next big opportunity. Along with Chennai-based D. Nixon (who is with the Chennai Central Excise) and coach Jose Varghese, the team went to Barcelona with hopes and trepidation. With over 80 countries participating in the event, the Indian side was understandably diffident. Then again this was the maiden entry by an Indian side in the beach volleyball competition. "We thought if we reached the tenth place, it would be a creditable effort," said Sreesh.
However, what unfolded in Spain was nothing short of history, a remarkable high in their career as the duo with able support from Nixon at crucial moments, went on to get past their powerful rivals — the German police, the U.S. fire service and the host Spain police to win the title. With tens of thousands of people around the court area rooting for the local side, it was a setting that would have made any weak-hearted opponent crumble. But the Indians seemed more worried about the weather. In fact, the unprecedented heat condition in Europe was the talking point at most discussions in the meet. As it happened, Sunil and Sreesh clung on, in between Nixon came at a timely moment to replace Sreesh, who even went through a bout of vomiting and the rest, as they say, was history. In three exciting and fluctuating games, the Central Excise and Customs team went on to win the gold medal, a first for the department, since it started participating from 1995.
The hours of practice on the hot sands of the Marina beach contributed to the success, said both. Starved as they were for good practice sessions in Kerala because of the rainy season, the Chennai experience braced them for the rigours in Barcelona. But even they did not expect that the temperature would rise much above the 40 degree Centigrade mark on certain days. Certainly this factor weighed on the other teams from Europe and America, used as they are to more salubrious settings. Still nothing can be taken away from the merit of the grand win, something that was driven home appropriately by the Department's officials who organised a function to felicitate the heroes in Chennai.
The victory certainly helped them compensate for the inability to represent the country in the World League Circuit Meet at Portugal, the dates of which clashed with the Barcelona event. "Now, we can look forward to the next circuit with stepped up confidence," said Sunil and Sreesh. Besides their horizon is slowly widening. They have begun to dream of earning a name at the Asian level to start with. "True the Chinese, Japanese and the Koreans are highly placed in the sport but if we can maintain high standards...," Sreesh trailed off. Indeed there are promises to keep and miles to go for this sensational duo but one thing is for sure, they will not give in without a fight. Again good performance is a must to attract sponsors and invitations to top meets. "For the established pairs in beach volleyball, there is not just fame but lots of money as well", said Sreesh, who has clearly made a research on the level of competition the world over.
An Olympic discipline, beach volleyball made its Olympic debut in the Sydney Games in 2000. And one hopes it would script a few exciting tales for the country.
S.R. SURYANARAYAN
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