Made of champion stuff

[1]

Twenty one-year-old, Manu Joseph of Thiruvananthapuram stole the show in the third set of the match between Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram in the State Senior Volleyball Championship. Manu’s blistering smashes and jump serves made him a major scorer for the team. Utilising his 6.26-ft height cleverly, Manu ensured that Thiruvananthapuram went down fighting.

“Their team was full of Indian international players and the match was very tough. Still, we fought hard and did not allow the Ernakulam players to walk all over us,” said Manu who started his career four years ago.
A player from Kannur, Manu is a product of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Kozhikode centre and follows the famous footsteps of his seniors and Indian international players, Tom Joseph and Kishore.

Once a high jumper, Manu turned to volleyball after he was selected to the SAI centre in Kozhikode.

“Before that I was not a regular player. I was more interested in high jump. But the selection to SAI Kozhikode was a major turning point in my life,” he said.

Strict training under the SAI coach T Augustine in Kozhikode made him one of the best emerging volleyball players in the state. “Whatever I have learned has been because of my strict training under him (Augustine). He taught me the powerful jump serves and all the other tricks in the game,” Manu reminisces.

Manu Joseph proved his mettle playing for Kozhikode for three years, when he was in SAI. “I have also represented Kerala in the Volleyball Youth Championship twice and captained the team in the last year,” he said. Only four months ago, Manu was selected to the KSEB team.

Now Manu is in Bengaluru to participate in the all-India invitation Volleyball Tournament as part of the Kerala team. “I will join the state camp for the nationals on December 26. I will be going to Chhattisgarh along with the other players to take part in the nationals,” he said.

Talking about the State Senior Volley Championship held in Kozhikode, he said, “The crowd was exceptional. We need such crowds to increase the quality of the game in the state.” He was one of the favourites among the spectators as his beautiful jump serves caught their attention in the final match.