Published: July 8, 2026 at 4:15 pm
Notwithstanding the infighting and uncertainty in the affairs of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI), the Indian spikers came up with an eye-catching bronze medal show at the Asian Volleyball Confederation (AVC) meet at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad recently.
With the VFI riddled with squabbling and becoming defunct, the Indian team was selected by the FIVB monitored-steering committee which also picked Serbian Dragan Mihailovic to coach the team. This creditable performance has raised hopes of revival of the game in the country.
The Indian team lost 2-3 in the semifinals to the young Indonesian team whose average age is 22.5 yrs. There was not much of a difference between the two teams. However, India captured a historic bronze medal after defeating defending champions Bahrain 3-1 in the third-place playoff match. The landmark win marked India’s first-ever medal at the continental tournament.
Jimmy George and Abdul Basith
A delighted coach Mihailovic described the success not as the final destination, but as the beginning of a new era for Indian volleyball. The Serbian emphasized that the milestone was built on discipline, fitness, and building a structured system. “The team showcased fearless attacking and incredible resilience, ultimately defeating defending champions Bahrain 3-1 in the playoff,” said the coach.
As per reports, the coach’s core philosophy for the squad includes a strict system. His focus was on cutting down unforced errors and implementing structured systems over just relying on raw talent. Building a Legacy: Rather than being content with a single medal, Mihailovic stressed the importance of sustainable progress and institutional support for consistent performance. Global Ranking: The team’s historic campaign saw India’s World Ranking surge from 58th to 42nd.
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Indian captain Jerome Vinith Charles duly credited Mihailovic for instilling the belief needed to conquer Asia’s best teams, including victories over Australia and Kazakhstan. They fought. They made history.
Light at the end of the tunnel
By overcoming all odds and hurdles, the team has proven that if proper selection is done and training is given, they have the ability to compete and win against the best teams. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. The Ahmedabad show is a big morale booster as this energetic and enthusiastic bunch will now look forward to the World Cup qualifying matches and also the Asian Games.
Abdul Basith with President of India Gyani Zail Singh. Pics: X
Names of players like Abdul Basith, Jimmy George, Shaikh Kareemullah, Kirtesh Kumar, P V Ramana, Dalel Singh Ror, Sandeep Sharma, Mehar Singh, Sukhpal Singh, G E Sridharan, K Udayakumar, Cyril C Valloor (all 1986 Asian Games team), Balwanth Singh, Shyamsunder, Ramana, K Venkatanarayana and Ravikanth Reddy evoke nostalgic memories of the golden days of volleyball in the country. They were part of teams which had won several medals, including the Asian Games and Asian Championships.
India had won a bronze at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul. It also had success in the Asian tournament at Urmia in Iran where it won a bronze in 2010. The Indian team also secured a silver medal at the 2014 Asia Cup at Almaty in Kazakhstan. Jerome Vinith Charles, the captain of the present squad was a member of the 2014 squad too.
Since then, the Indian volleyball nosedived to a new low, thanks to internal squabbles in the federation. It hurt the game in the country and the players very badly.
Former international GV Madhav said it was good to see five debutants in the team that included a setter or playmaker Om Vasant Lad. “After a very long period of time we had a player from Maharashtra don the Indian colours. Then there was Nihal CK (Kerala), Hitter Joel Benjamin (Tamil Nadu), middle blockers Amrinderpal Singh (Punjab) and Shikar Singh (Services),” said Madhav, who is now an officer in the GST in Hyderabad.
Arjuna award winner and former volleyball player PV Ramana. Pic: Scroll.in
The FIVB-IOA Steering Committee of Rohit Rajpal (Executive Council member, Indian Olympic Association), Steve Tutton (FIVB general sports director), Raghuram Iyer (CEO of the Indian Olympic Association), Hitesh Malhotra (Head of FIVB empowerment and NF relations).
The Steering Committee’s immediate priority was hosting the championship in Ahmedabad, the first major Asian volleyball event in the country in nearly a decade. That set the process and the squad was selected following a process involving coaches, former National team players and technical staff.
India had a rich history in volleyball: Madhav
Madhav pointed out that it is sad sometimes when you don’t have a federation, but the Steering Committee did an admirable job with a fair selection. “We had the talent but at times we made a mess of selections with a few merit players being sidelined. This time it was different, and the right set of players were picked for the tournament. This core group of 20 players will form the nucleus for the future tournaments,” Madhav said.
Former international volleyball player GV Madhav
The former blocker said India had a rich history in volleyball. “But unfortunately, we were badly hit by the squabbles. In the past we were as strong as Japan, China or Iran. But these three teams have now reached a new high. They have world class tournaments and players. They are in the top elite of the volleyball world. These three teams did not take part in the Ahmedabad tournament,” he added.
According to Madhav, it is the players who have suffered in this long power struggle. “As a result, the players are not getting the opportunity to play in tough competitions. The Volleyball Premier League does give an outlet to the players to play along with a few foreign players. But the Indian players lack the exposure like badminton or table tennis players. If you see the results of these two disciplines, it is because of the players playing in tough international competitions. They have won top honours, including Olympics, Asian Games and Asian Championships. I feel our volleyball players need that type of exposure,” added Madhav, who was in the Indian Police team that won the bronze medal in 1997 World Police and Fire tournament.
Erstwhile AP was nursery for volleyball: Venkat
K Venkatnarayana, who is a decorated former volleyball captain and who played for India for a decade, lamented that Indian volleyball has gone from bad to worse. “It is pathetic to see a federation that is not operational. The game is suffering because of these bickerings. To be honest, Hyderabad and erstwhile Andhra Pradesh were the nursery for good volleyball players. We had the golden era when L Venkatram Reddy and Kodanda Ramaiah were at the helm of affairs in the state. We had so many tournaments and the Victory Playground was the hub of the activity. Many new players were discovered from this ground. I owe my career to Bhai saab (LVR) and late Basith,’’ said the veteran setter.
Former India volleyball player K Venkatanarayana admits that the sports hostel in Hyderabad played a major role in producing players
Basith saw an extraordinary talent in this young player from Warangal. The diminutive Venkat admitted that Sports Hostel also played a part in producing players. “During our playing days the cream of talented players came from the Sports Hostel. We last won the National Championship in 1989 at Guwahati. Thanks to the 2002 National Games, we won the gold in Hyderabad and another medal in the 2007 National Games. After that, we have not won any major tournaments or produced any big player from the State. It is sad and unfortunate,” stressed Venkat, who, after retirement from TSRTC, is coaching players at Delhi Public School as a Sports Advisor.
Important to have federation back
Madhav expects some turnaround in the volleyball circles. “It is important to have the federation back with sincere and dedicated officials. The Steering Committee has done a good job so far both in the men and women’s sections. The Indian women’s team also won a bronze in a big tournament in Nepal. If things return to normal, I am sure we will have many more big results.”
