All set to muscle forward

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When K. Vinu, a native of Kozhikode, selected rugby as a career four years ago, he had not seen much growth prospects in the state, where the sport is new to most.

But after four years, with his hard work and dedication, he has earned a place in the Indian team for the Asian Championships to be held in South Korea.

Unleashing macho power with a no-nonsense physical approach, Vinu plays in the forward position in the State team. He has also played for Mumbai Gymkhana Rugby club for a period of two months. A natural sprinter, he diverted his abilities on track for rugby, which he wants to take up professionally.

“I was attracted by the fighting spirit and the machismo nature of the game. I was a sprinter and I had been a member of the State relay team when I took up rugby. They were in need of a good sprinter to play in the forward position,” he says.

One of the major challenge he faced when he started playing rubgy was his posture. “As the game is very rough, the players should have a firm body. I had to work out a lot to keep my body fit. Even after the my selection to the Indian team, the trainers asked me to build a good body before the camp starts,” he said.

Vinu says that if you have the talent, then rugby has a lot of opportunity in the country. “Though it has not gained that much popularity here, outside the State there are a lot of clubs where you can play. Some of the clubs pay national players anything between `40,000 to `60,000 per month,” he says.

The 24-year-old is also conducting a rugby coaching camp for youngsters in Kozhikode. “Last year, I conducted a two-month coaching camp at the Kozhikode Medical College ground. More students are coming to learn the game. At present, there are about 500 professionally-trained rugby players in the district,” he said.

He says that the connection between football and rugby has earned an acceptance for the game in the district. However, several parents, after watching the training sessions, have also barred their children from playing the game.

“It is true that the game is a little rough. But the beauty of the sport lies in that roughness. If you watch the game, it will be more interesting than football,” he said.

Venu was also selected for the Indian camp for Commonwealth Games held at New Delhi last year.

“I will be receiving the Indian cap for the first time and hope I can be part of the playing eleven too,” he said.