The men’s and women’s Indian volleyball teams will participate at the Asian Games 2023.
The much-awaited volleyball action at Asian Games Hangzhou 2022 will get underway from September 19. The men’s and women’s Indian volleyball teams will compete at the 19th edition of the Asian Games. The men’s event will take place from September 19 to 26 while the women’s event will be played from September 30 to October 7.
The Indian men’s volleyball team is placed in Pool C and will open their campaign against Cambodia on September 19. India will take on three-time champions South Korea the following day.
The Indian women’s team will take on North Korea in their opening match in Pool A on September 30 and will be up against six-time champions China the next day. The top two teams from the group will progress to the next round.
India have named strong squads for both men’s and women’s competitions.
The Indian men’s contingent includes: Amit, Vinit Kumar, S Ammarambath, Muthusamy Appavu, Hari Prasad, Rohit Kumar, Manoj Lakshmipuram Manjunatha, U Mohan, Ashwal Rai, Santhosh Sahaya Anthoni Raj, Guru Prasanth Subramanian Venkatasubbu, Erin Varghese.
The women’s contingent comprise of : Minimol Abraham, Jincy Johnson, Anusree Kambrath Poyilil, Aswani Kandoth, Jini Kovat Shaji, Saranya, Shilpa Rajendran Nair Sindhu, Aswathi Raveendran, Shaalini Saravanan, Suji Vijayan.
In the Indian men's team, middle blocker Ashwal Rai and Muthusamy Appavu, who is considered to be among the best setters in Asia, will look to make a significant impact in Hangzhou.
Ashwal Rai captained the Kolkata Thunderbolts to the RuPay Prime Volleyball League Powered by A23 title in the inaugural 2022 season. The 6’8” Indian blocker was part of the national team that won gold at the South Asian Games in 2019.
Muthusamy Appavu won the best setter in the under-23 Asian Championships in 2019 and led the Ahmedabad Defenders to RuPay Prime Volleyball League Powered by A23 glory in 2023.
In the Indian women’s volleyball team, veteran Minimol Abraham still is a crucial player. The formidable outside hitter has captained the women’s side since 2018. She won the MVP award at the South Asian Games in 2019, where she led the team to a historic gold.
Volleyball made its debut as a men’s event at the 1958 Asian Games and has been part of the programme ever since. Women’s volleyball was first held at the Asian Games in 1962.
The Indian men’s team tasted some initial success at the Asian Games, claiming bronze in 1958 and silver in 1962. They won another bronze in 1986 but that remains their last medal at the Asian Games.
The Indian women’s team will be vying for their first medal at the Asian Games.
Though podium finishes have eluded the Indian volleyball teams in recent years, the advent of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League Powered by A23 has injected fresh impetus into Indian volleyball. The league has provided Indian players with invaluable exposure and the opportunity to learn from top international players and coaches alike.
