Setter Ukkrapandian hopeful of making the cut for Asian Games

When asked for his stance on this issue, setter M Ukkrapandian said it was not out of any dereliction of duty that some of the prominent names from the state avoided attending the trials. “My presence was needed at home as my daughter was not keeping well. It’s not right to say that we did it on purpose,” said the 28-year-old. 

Dwelling on the reasons for the absence of his other two statemates in attacker M Naveen Raja Jacob and blocker GR Viashnav, Ukkrapandian replied that the duo was recovering from long-standing fitness concerns and are on the road to recovery. “Both Naveen and Vaishnav were battling injury concerns. While the former is recovering from an ankle injury, the latter had to contend with a constant niggle in his knee that laid him low for almost six months. Had they been fit, I’m sure they would have both taken part in the selection,” opined Ukkrapandian.

Ukkrapandian, however, retained the hope that if the players from TN perform well and catch the attention of the selectors during next month’s national championship, they can still be considered for selection and that they will readily make themselves available. 

“We are pinning our hopes on the national championship. I’m quietly confident that if we come up with impressive performances, we will definitely be in with a shout of making the grade. Sridharan himself said that the door is not completely shut on the TN players and we want to make use of that opportunity,” concluded Ukkrapandian.