New Delhi: India is failing to win medals at continental tournaments or qualify for the World Championships and Olympics despite having immense potential because of poor planning and a lack of opportunities to compete against Asia’s top volleyball nations, according to Dronacharya Award-winning coach G E Sridharan.
The 72-year-old argued that India continues to play mostly lower-ranked teams, limiting the players’ growth and international competitiveness.
“If you play against the likes of Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka all the time, what do you expect?” Sridharan told PTI on the sidelines of the launch of the Volleyball Champions League.
The former India player pointed out that the team’s historical success—such as their bronze medal at the Asian Games—was only achieved after rigorous preparation against top-tier opponents. Before securing that historic medal, the Indian team played around 20 matches against powerhouses like China, Japan, and Iran. Although they lost many of those matches, consistently challenging themselves eventually led to a breakthrough win.
Sridharan criticized the current planning and efforts, highlighting that without a deliberate focus on playing against the top-ranked volleyball nations in Asia, the country is failing to reach its world-class potential. Constantly playing and defeating weaker teams provides false confidence and fails to expose the squad to the pace and tactics of Olympic and World Championship-level competitors.
