The finest Indian volleyball teamĪt the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, India sent arguably their best volleyball team ever. However, the wait for a medal would not last too long. India finished seventh in 1978 and at the 1982 Asian Games at home in New Delhi, the Indian volleyball team saw another upswing, though it fell just short of a medal, ending up fourth. The next few years had multiple crests and troughs as the Indian volleyball team finished fourth and fifth at the 19 Asian Games, respectively, not making it to the 1970 edition in between.
Though the Indian volleyball team finished strong, with consecutive wins over Indonesia and South Korea, Japan’s unbeaten run meant that they had to settle for silver. India's old rivals Japan were again their undoing as they triumphed in a thrilling five-setter, winning the last set 15-12. This time around, the Indian volleyball team began with four consecutive wins against Burma (twice), Cambodia and Pakistan, three of which were straight-set victories.
The Indian volleyball team managed to go one better four years later.Īt the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, legendary players Nripjit Singh Bedi and A Palaniswamy, both Arjuna Award winners, had graduated to the senior team, which was led by TP Padmanabhan Nair, who was also a part of the 1958 team. India beat Hong Kong and the Philippines in three straight sets but could not get past volleyball powerhouses Iran and Japan, though they managed to win a set against each. Volleyball was played for the first time at that edition, and the Indian men’ volleyball team, led by the veteran Gurudev Singh, clinched bronze. The Indian volleyball team had an almost immediate impact on the global stage, winning the 1955 Asian Tournament in Tokyo and another followed soon, at the 1958 Asian Games. It helped the nation discover several talents who went on to play with great distinction for the Indian volleyball team. The sport gained proper structure with the formation of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) in 1951, and the erstwhile interstate tournament evolved into the Senior National Championships, with the first edition held in 1952. Though it was informally played for a long time, the first interstate volleyball championships were held by the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) in 1936 in pre-independent India. Whilst an Indian team has never participated at an Olympic Games, the country has enjoyed some success at regional level. A game played widely across the country, volleyball has been a part of the Indian sporting conscience for more than seven decades.
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