Coach Thoufik hails Tamil Nadu volleyball squad’s never-say-die attitude

“We have always performed consistently at the Nationals when compared to other states. One striking feature about this team is that they never give up till the end and give their all until the game is over,” said Thoufik, who led the team to a second-place finish in the Mini Nationals last week. 

“The members of the squad exhibited great camaraderie and never lost hope at any stage of the tournament. They worked with unity and overcame many hardships to achieve this feat,” he added. 

The Tamil Nadu boys and girls teams, which clinched bronze and silver respectively, were felicitated by the Tamil Nadu State Volleyball Association on Thursday. Each player in the girls squad received Rs 1500 while every member of the boys squad received Rs 1000. The association had held a one-week preparatory camp at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium for both the teams ahead of the Nationals.

Speaking about the team’s stay at the north-eastern state, the coach explained, “It took some time for us to get acclimatised to the weather conditions there. We had some issues with the food we were served with as well. But, our aim was to win the tournament. It’s sad that we couldn’t showcase our complete potential against some of our opponents.” 

The TN girls lost to West Bengal in the final with a scoreline of 21-25, 23-25, 25-23, 19-25. When asked about what the team lacked in its final hurdle, he remarked that the girls didn’t gift the victory to the opposition. 

“To be honest, the girls played well. I couldn’t have asked for more from them. A few minor mistakes during the final movements led to the defeat. Despite going down, we at least managed to win a set. We fought hard and didn’t let them beat us easily,” he said. 

“We are satisfied with what we have achieved. To travel such a long distance (by train and bus) and to come back with a medal is a great achievement,” he added.

“Tamil Nadu has always been a strong contender and I expected it to win a medal. I am very happy that we won medals in both the categories,” said Chithraipandian, Secretary of the TNVA, about the team’s excellent showing.