The number of Indian Bank basketball players who represented Tamil Nadu at the national championship held in Chennai two months ago is zero.

No Indian Bank player had made it to the state squad for last month’s volleyball nationals either. The situation is not rosy in hockey, another major Olympic team sport.

The statistics indicate a mighty fall for one of the foremost sports institutions in Tamil Nadu. In the 90s, it would be unthinkable to assemble a state squad without Indian Bank players in disciplines such as basketball and volleyball.

When Tamil Nadu won five successive national titles in volleyball in the early 90s, Indian Bank’s Muthuraj and Baig were integral part of the team.

Without the reliable duo, it wouldn’t have been possible for TN to go on such a rampaging run. People in the know say not contributing a player to the state is unprecedented ever since the bank’s volleyball team was formed in 1985.

Moses Jeevanandam was one of the key members of the state basketball squad that bagged five national titles in a row from 1999. Jaishankar Menon, C.V. Sunny and Suriyasekar were not only the big names in the Indian Bank basketball team in the 90s; they also played with distinction for India.

The nationalised bank’s failure to fill sports quota jobs in the last five years has pushed them to the brink of anonymity. If the powers that be in the institution don’t act now, nobody can check the freefall of Indian Bank’s teams.

Indian Bank’s hard-earned reputation of being a beacon of hope to sportspersons is in great peril. Few can deny the institution’s contribution to the development of sports in Tamil Nadu.

The number of disciplines Indian Bank used to focus on in its heyday was second only to Southern Railway. From carrom stars to chess masters, everyone found a kindred soul in Indian Bank.

But the reality is different now. When the future of major sports such as athletics, basketball, hockey and volleyball is in doubt, what hope does a carrom player have of getting into Indian Bank?

The bank hockey team haven’t added any fresh face to their roster since 2007. As a result, talented guest players such as Nishanth and Gopi joined Income Tax last year. The duo got frustrated with the delay in getting appointment with Indian Bank and jumped ship. Who can begrudge them?

In volleyball, no recruitment has been done after the addition of D. Sounder in 2007. The situation is no better in basketball. Playmaker Aravind probably foresaw the future and joined rivals IOB a few years ago.
The days of star players from other states vying with each other to join Indian Bank are over. Leave alone the prospect of seeing Sathyans, Bobbys, Sunnys and Jaishankars on their rolls, even attracting Tamil Nadu players is not going to be easy for Indian Bank in future.

Many promising volleyball players from TN are going to other states as a result of the inexplicable job freeze in Indian Bank.

SDAT libero Sakthi Kumar was on the Indian Bank radar last year but he is now going to join LIC, Mumbai. Sakthi is one of the best liberos in the country and losing him will be a body blow for Indian Bank.

Pulling along with players who must have retired seven or eight years ago is not a great advertisement for the organisation. Indian Bank’s coaches deserve sympathy, for they have the unenviable task of preserving their teams’ reputation. How can they deliver without resources?

The reasons to stop recruitment haven’t been adequately explained by one of the notable banks in the country. A few years ago, files pertaining to sports quota recruitment were reportedly gutted in a fire that ravaged Indian Bank head office.

Last year the news came out that appointment orders were ready to be dispatched to eligible candidates in various sports.

But an anonymous letter questioning the validity of the selection procedure wreaked havoc on recruitment. Those who had been selected were shocked. Will any sportsperson have the patience for the third excuse?