Main goal is to get a top-eight finish in the Asian Volleyball Championship, says Dragan Mihailovic
Indian volleyball coach Dragan Mihailovic has an aim of ensuring a top-eight finish for the side in the Asian Championship so that they can book a place for the Olympic qualifiers. The Asian Volleyball Championship is scheduled to be held in Iran in September this year before the Olympic qualifiers.
The Asian Men’s Volleyball Championship will act as a screening test for the volleyball teams from the continent to play the Olympics. The top eight teams from the Championship will qualify for the main round of the Tokyo Olympics qualifications. The newly-appointed Indian men’s volleyball team coach Dragan Mihailovic is all set for the tournament and getting his men ready for a top-eight finish in the continental event.
“Our main goal is to get a top-eight finish in the Asian Championship. A top-eight finish will secure a spot for us in the 2020 Tokyo Olympic qualification tournament. That is very important,” Mihailovic told Sportstar.
Experienced coach Mihailovic also stressed on the importance of India having a proper match practice. He has also made detailed plans for the team’s upcoming matches to go into the Asian Championship with proper match practice.
“It’s very important to play lots of games against top teams. We plan to compete in a tournament in Ukraine (end August), followed by matches against three very strong Turkish professional clubs in Ankara. We are awaiting the government’s consent for these plans,” Mihailovic said.
With the inception of the Pro Volleyball, the sport in India has got some boost. However, according to the coach, the biggest negative aspect in the game in India is the lack of tactical knowledge of the Indian players.
“From the two or three training sessions I’ve had with the boys, I’ve noticed that their biggest drawback is a lack of tactical knowledge. This is because they haven’t got the chance to play many tournaments outside India. They are not in touch with how international volleyball has developed in the last 20 years. Statistics, video analysis, scouting and so on - these aspects are lacking here. But the federation has recruited a top scout from Europe, which will be of huge help,” he said.
“The FIVB, VFI and I are working towards a common goal. There are thousands of young guys in India who want to play volleyball. They have the exact body constitution required to play volleyball, and they are desperately waiting for a chance to maximise their potential in order to explode on the world stage. I am sure that this can be achieved.”