Angamuthu saves his best for last; debutant Nandhagopal shines

CHENNAI: Universal R Angamuthu and attacker S Nandhagopal, both from Tamil Nadu, played pivotal roles in the Ahmedabad Defenders team’s victorious run in the recently concluded Prime Volleyball League Season 2.

While Angamuthu, hailing from Tiruchy, rose to the occasion in the semi-finals and final to bag the ‘Man of the Match’ award in both contests, the Pollachi-born Nandhagopal sizzled in his debut Prime Volleyball season. It looked as though Angamuthu, who turned out for the Ahmedabad franchise for a second successive PVL season, saved his best for the last.

“Last season (when Defenders finished as runner-up), I did not perform well in our semi-final and final. After returning to the Ahmedabad team (he was bought back at the auction), I wanted to make the most of the opportunities. I was pumped up for both the knockout matches this season,” Angamuthu, the owner of 111 points and the side’s top-scorer in the League’s second edition, told DT Next.

“I went into the matches thinking ‘my opponents must recognise me as a threat’. If they do that, my teammates can play freely,” said Angamuthu, nicknamed the ‘Angleman’.

After helping Defenders earn direct entry into the Volleyball Men’s Club World Championship – scheduled to be hosted in India in December – Angamuthu has set his sights on the global event. “Our aim was to qualify for the World Championship. I am yet to play for the India national team. I wanted to represent the country at least via a club. I have got the opportunity now,” said Angamuthu.

“The World Championship is nine months away. But in my opinion, we do not have much time to prepare. I want to utilise each and every second.”

Nandhagopal shows promise

Youngster Nandhagopal said that he overcame jitters in the early stages of the tournament, adding that he managed to flourish at the business end with the continued support of his teammates and head coach S Dakshinamoorthy.

“I was a bit nervous at the start since it was my first season in the League. I got nervous after looking at the light settings [at the venues]. I could not play much in the first two matches. From the third match onwards, I got to play more. I raised my game as the tournament progressed. But, I could have done better,” said Nandhagopal, who picked up 78 points.

“The senior players in the squad encouraged me to do well. A Muthusamy (the captain) guided me a lot. At the start of the season, he set up a meeting and asked me to earn the confidence of the coach. He explained what I had to do. Dakshinamoorthy sir knows how to handle each and every player. That is why we were able to win the title.”