Alarm bells are on for IOB

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IOB players would not like to watch the video of the national club volleyball championship final. They should, to realize how ONGC outclassed them in every aspect of the game at Santhome School indoor stadium on Saturday.

The video will illustrate the shambolic performance of the bank team.

After the one-sided final and the prize distribution ceremony, IOB players, all of them sullen, did a post-mortem on the final with the bank’s former stars. Sivaraman, one of the all-time greats of IOB, said ONGC were the better team on the day. “Man by man, IOB were the superior side,” he added.

Sivaraman was wrong. He offered comfort rather than an incisive analysis. ONGC had been the best team of the tournament. On current form, the Dehradun club would beat IOB eight out of 10 matches. It is the reality. If IOB believe that they are still the top volleyball club in the country, they would be living in delusion.

The bank team, in fact, punched above their weight by reaching the final. HSIIDC and BPCL looked better equipped to deal with the might of ONGC. HSIIDC proved a point by beating IOB in four sets in the league. BPCL didn’t get to meet IOB as they were in a different group.

IOB’s only convincing win of the league came against Indian Navy in the opener.

The bank team did manage to beat Southern Railway in straight sets but they never looked invincible. Railway kept pace with IOB until the end, only lacking the finishing touch. Customs gifted the semifinal to IOB on a platter. IOB didn’t have to do anything extraordinary to reach the final because the occasion got to their opponents.

The pedestrian performance of IOB in the final stuck out like a sore thumb because of heightened expectations. IOB didn’t have the squad to stand up to the inform ONGC. Within Tamil Nadu, IOB’s reputation is intimidating. But top clubs in the country know what it takes to beat them.

The bank’s main six weren’t able to give their best against ONGC. They heaped pressure on themselves as the tournament was organised by IOB. The presence of so many staff and former players of IOB at the venue unnerved the team. IOB’s natural game deserted them as the players were preoccupied by the thought that failure wasn’t an option.

On the positive side, IOB aren’t as bad as their final performance. They still have senior Indian team’s main attacker (M. Naveen Raja Jacob) and setter (M. Ukkrapandian). Blocker G.R. Vaishnav and universal D. Selvaprabhu, both key members of the national junior squad, add youthful energy to IOB. N. Shelton Moses is one of the best blockers in the country.

Then, what ails IOB? Bench strength is a major worry. Thulasi, Kumaran and Haroon were all excellent players in their prime, but can they match the young guns of ONGC, BPCL and HSIIDC today? Attacker J. Natarajan, who has played for India with distinction, is such a spirited player but does he have the energy and fitness to keep his place in IOB’s first six?

Naveen was out of sorts against ONGC from the beginning but coach P. Sundaram didn’t have an option on the bench for replacement. A brief rest may have worked wonders for the attacker. Sundaram replaced Natarajan with Haroon in the second set only to bring on the former in place of Naveen in the third.

There are ominous signs of decline in Naveen’s game. The attacker doesn’t have the height required for the modern game, so he uses his hand speed and explosive power to win points. Naveen needs adequate rest to remain on top. But he has been playing without a break after an injury layoff before the Asian Games last year. For a player of his style, the wear and tear is more.

Another vexing issue is there is no second universal in the squad. Selvaprabhu has to play irrespective of his form and fitness. It is a recipe for disaster.

IOB need fresh blood at once. There is no time to lose. IOB may not get players who can walk into the Indian team right away. The only way forward is to recruit promising youngsters and mould them into international material. It is, no doubt, hard work. Is there any other alternative?