Varun GS, who will be showcasing his talent for Bengaluru Torpedoes in the upcoming edition of Prime Volleyball League, had to work hard to convince his parents to pursue the sport when he was young.
The 25-year-old volleyball player, who hails from Hubbali city in Karnataka, had started his career when he was in Class 10.
Seeing other villagers play the sport developed an interest in him for volleyball. When his school coaches approached him to try him out for the team because of his good height, he found an entry into the sport.
But his parents, who work at a private coffee plantation, at that point were not keen on him pursuing volleyball. "In the beginning, my parents had no interest. They wanted me to just focus on my studies. I used to lie to them when I went for training. I would tell them I am going to attend tuitions and instead go for training," said Varun.
"After I played in my first nationals for Karnataka, they saw my newspaper clippings. Then they felt that I could do something in this sport, and since then, they have given me full freedom to pursue the sport," he added.
Varun represented his state in the U-14, U-16, and U-18 nationals over the years. He then went to pursue a college degree in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu and represented the state in U-21 Nationals.
Varun made his way to the India camp after playing Senior Nationals, but was unable to break into the Indian squad. When the applications were invited to apply for the latest edition of Prime Volleyball League in 2022, Varun decided to give it a shot.
"There was a big pool of players this time and lots of senior and experienced ones. Hence, I was unsure of being picked and was eager to see how it would go. But then I got a call that I have been selected by Bengaluru Torpedoes. I was happy and super excited when I saw my name," said Varun.
Varun received multiple calls from his peers, friends and coaches, congratulating him for selection in the PVL. He, himself, called up his family to tell them the news. "I did not celebrate much, because my focus was on preparations for the tournament, and not on celebrations. I knew immediately I wanted to give the best for my team who showed faith in me," he said.
Varun also praised the league for giving a chance to local talents to showcase their talents on the big stage in front of a wide audience.
"My parents are not much aware of volleyball. But because of other league-based sports in India, they understood that PVL is a big format, and they felt very happy. I am happy local players are getting a chance to showcase their talent in this league," he added.
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor