From Chokli to Germany: Kerala village stands by Anamika's volleyball dream
KANNUR: With the collective support of kind-hearted well-wishers, sports enthusiasts, and local clubs, Anamika Aneesh from Chokli has realised her long-cherished dream of wearing the Indian jersey at the World University Volleyball Championship. What once seemed an uphill battle due to financial hurdles has now turned into a proud moment for the small village in Kannur.
Anamika is scheduled to leave for a special training camp in Bhubaneswar on June 16, ahead of the international tournament in Germany.
The turning point in her volleyball journey came in 2016, when the Chokli panchayat, through a special decision, appointed volleyball coach K Sivadasan under the District Sports Council. It was during the training camp led by Sivadasan that Anamika's talent was first spotted. 'I was in Class 6 when I began training. In Class 7, I moved to a hostel to get more practice. It was always my dream to play in the national jersey,' said Anamika.
After completing her Plus II education at Thalassery Girls School, where she also trained under the Sports Authority of India (SAI), Anamika continued to chase her dreams. She is currently a third-year undergraduate student at Assumption College, Changanassery, and trains under renowned volleyball coach Nawaz Bahab.
Representing MG University, Anamika has made her mark at the national level by securing second place in the Junior National Volleyball Championship, the South Zone Inter-University Championship, and the All India Inter-University Championship.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
22 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Dream remains the same, stage has changed: Neeraj ahead of NC Classic event
With the dream of lifting India's flag higher than ever still burning bright, former Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra gears up to host a world-class gathering of javelin throwers at the rescheduled Neeraj Chopra Classic 2025, now set for July 5 in Bengaluru. The event, originally slated for May 24, was postponed due to cross-border tensions between India and Pakistan, but the anticipation has only grown since. Neeraj, in a promotional video released on June 16, said that the Classic is more than just a competition — it's about legacy. In a heartfelt statement, he said that while the dream to make India proud hasn't changed, the setting now holds deeper meaning as the nation hosts its own marquee athletics event. According to him, each javelin thrown will not just mark distance, but carry the weight of history. Check the full video here: Home Crowd to Cheer Indian Contingent India's hopes don't just rest on Neeraj. He'll be joined by Kishore Jena, Rohit Yadav, Sachin Yadav and Sahil Silwal — all aiming to make their mark against top-tier competition. The Indian contingent, bolstered by strong performances on the continental stage, will look to thrive under the energy of a passionate home crowd. Also taking part are Curtis Thompson of the USA, Luiz Mauricio da Silva from Brazil, and Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage, making this a truly global meet.
NDTV
36 minutes ago
- NDTV
Mother Still In ICU, But Gautam Gambhir To Fly Back And Re-Join India Team In England On...
Gautam Gambhir will soon be joining the Team India ahead of the five-match Test series that starts head coach Gautam Gambhir is set to leave for England on Monday night to reunite with the team after a family emergency compelled him to leave the group for a while, sources have said. Gambhir travelled to England last week with the squad to bolster their preparations for their upcoming five-match Test series assignment in England, which begins on June 20 at Headingley. Last Friday, when India was set to play an intra-squad match for the series, sources had said that Gambhir was rushing back to India as his mother suffered a heart attack. According to a report in Dainik Jagran, the health condition of Gambhir's mother is stable though she is still in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Despite that, Gambhir has decided to join the Indian cricket team and it only shows the importance of the Tour. In the upcoming series, India faces a massive challenge in the testing conditions of England. After batting wizards Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli bid adieu to Test cricket last month, India was left short on experience. With India bereft of its torchbearers, the management turned to youngsters to mark the beginning of a new era. The five-test tour of England starts June 20 at Leeds and lasts until August 2025. With India lining up without its batting bigwigs Rohit and Virat following their retirement from the game's longest format, the onus lies on the Shubman-led revamped side to prove itself away from home in testing and gruelling English conditions. The series will be held from June to August, with matches scheduled at Headingley in Leeds, Edgbaston in Birmingham, Lord's and The Oval in London, and Old Trafford in Manchester. India's Test squad for England series: Shubman Gill (c), Rishabh Pant (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Sai Sudharsan, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Karun Nair, Nitish Reddy, Ravindra Jadeja, Dhruv Jurel, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Akash Deep, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Karun Nair Was Told To Retire, Go And Chase Money By India Cricketer: "Would Have Been Easy..."
Karun Nair is one of the players to watch out for as India tour England for five Tests, starting from June 20. At the age of 33, Nair is making a remarkable comeback to the India squad, having not played a single match for the country in over eight years. Nair - who is only the second Indian to score a triple century in Test cricket - has now revealed that he had been earlier advised by a prominent Indian cricketer to pack his bags and leave India to secure financial stability for his future by playing in cash-rich T20 leagues abroad. The 33-year-old made his Test debut against England in Mohali in 2016 and went on to hit an unbeaten 303 in his third Test in Chennai, grabbing eyeballs. However, after that historic knock, he only played three home Tests against Australia in 2017 before being dropped from the team due to a series of low scores. "I still remember a prominent Indian cricketer calling me and saying you need to retire because the money in these leagues would make me secure. It would have been easy to do but I knew that regardless of the money, I would be kicking myself for giving up that easily," Nair said in an interview with Daily Mail. "I was never going to give up on playing for India again. That was just over two years ago and look where we are now,' he insists. It's crazy, but deep down, I knew I was good enough," he added. Despite the setbacks, Karun Nair never gave up on his dream of returning to the Indian team. Following the 2022 season, he endured a challenging period of nearly 14 months without playing any competitive cricket. However, he marked the beginning of his revival through a County stint with Northamptonshire. "It was next to nothing, but I didn't care because that was the opportunity I was desperate for. I went straight to Birmingham, had one net session and the day after, scored 78 at Edgbaston," he said. A week after joining Northamptonshire, he got 150 against Surrey at The Oval - the same ground where he thought he was going to get his chance in 2018. "I remember standing on the balcony and soaking it in and thinking about everything that had happened five years before and how it had to come back full circle. With the happiness involved, it's my most satisfying innings because I knew it was all about coming here and scoring runs. When you score runs in county cricket, people in India take note and listen. People like Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly all messaged me to say congratulations," Nair recalled. The right-handed batter switched his base from Karnataka to Vidarbha in 2023. He went on to score 690 runs in 10 games and followed it with 863 runs in nine Ranji Trophy games in 2024 with four centuries, including one in the finals, which paved the way for Vidarbha to lift the trophy. He also showed signs of power-hitting in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, amassing 779 runs in just eight innings, including five centuries, which prompted the Delhi Capitals to pick him in the IPL mega auction for Rs 50 lakh for the 2025 season. Nair admitted that towards the end of last year, he was manifesting the feeling of representing the national team again. "I manifested playing for India. There was a domestic game last year where they played the national anthem, and we were standing in a line, and I got that feeling of 'Oh, I need this to happen again' and picturing myself in Indian whites," said Nair.
