Pro Volleyball is a stepping stone for me, asserts U Mumba Volley’s John Joseph
U Mumba Volley’s young blocker John Joseph EJ has stated that according to him Pro Volleyball is a perfect platform for him as a professional player. The Kerala-born player has mentioned that his ultimate aim is to represent India at the international platform and he is determined towards that.
With the start of the new league, many young volleyball players in India are quite excited about putting up a good show in the tournament. The Indian players have now got a proper stage where they can showcase their talent which will get recognised by many as the games are covered live on television. Volleyball had never got the same recognition that it is getting after the beginning of the inaugural edition of Pro Volleyball which started on February 2.
Not just the players who have represented India at the top level, the league has a special provision for upcoming players as well. According to the laws of the tournament, each franchise is bound to have two national-level under 21 players in its teams. One such raw talent is blocker John who was picked up by U Mumba Volley in the auctions for the inaugural edition of the league. After playing for Kerala at the junior nationals, 18-year-old John is the youngest member in the side and he is of the opinion that the league will provide him with a proper chance to grow further in his professional career.
“I was quite surprised to get selected in the auction. I had never thought of playing at that level but it is really great to be picked up by U Mumba. My friend only called me up to give the news that I was selected and everyone back home was really delighted after getting the news,” John told SportsCafe.
“It’s a wonderful feeling to be in U Mumba team and I am getting a lot to learn. The senior players have been very helpful towards me and they keep giving me tips during the practice sessions. The most important thing that they do is that they help me come out of any kind of fear. This is a great chance for us to play with many players from other countries and it will take the sport in India to a different level in India.”
Coming from Kerala which is considered to be the powerhouse of volleyball in India, John was more attracted towards athletics and switched to volleyball only after his matriculation. He received formal training at Sports Authority of India (SAI)’s Kozhikode (Calicut) centre and then went on to represent his home state Kerala in the junior nationals. However, he feels that with better training facilities and more professionalism, the Indian players will be able to do well in the coming days.
“U Mumba team is really good and we got great training facilities at IIT Mumbai campus. The franchise has taken proper care of us and now there is more professionalism into the game which will help us in doing well,” the blocker explained.
© John, who idolises USA blocker Maxwell Holt and India’s Vineet Chaudhary, has an ultimate aim of representing the nation like all other sportspersons in the country. He didn’t get into the final squad of the Indian junior side after making it to the national camp. However, with the under 23
“I dream of playing for India one day. I have got only into the national camp and now I know that I have to make it to the Indian team soon. The under 23
Starting from the very first day of the league against Kochi Blue Spikers, U Mumba Volley have won only one game so far in the tournament. Currently, they are at the fifth position on the points table with only two points from four matches. They will play their next game against Ahmedabad Defenders on the final day of the league stage today.
“The team will certainly do well from here on as they have a professional set up with kabaddi and football teams and this was the first year in volleyball,” concluded John who feels that he is now popular back in his home town.
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