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Proven performers out of favour with federations

— File photos

HARD TIMES: S. Robinson and Tom Joseph.

KOCHI: Two of India’s biggest stars, basketballer S. Robinson and volleyballer Tom Joseph, are now out of favour with their respective federations. And with some crucial tournaments coming over the next few days, the country could be the big loser.

While Robinson, who gave India some of its best moments the last few years, was suspended by the Tamil Nadu Basketball Association in December for missing the National Championship’s State camp, Tom, who drew comparisons with Jimmy George a few years ago, now inexplicably finds himself out of the Indian team.

Robinson hit the headlines in late 2004 with India’s stunning victory over Asian giant South Korea in the FIBA Stankovic Cup in Taipei. These days, the Chennai-based star even has problems focusing on the board.

“Frankly, I’m not even practising these days. There’s no motivation,” said the 27-year-old who helped TN win the National Championship five timesover the last few years.

He’s also confused about the suspension letter served on him. “The letter says it’s an interim suspension. And as far as I know, it means that a decision is in the process. But I’m not allowed to play,” said the young man who quit IOB and joined Writer-India (Chennai) as its Business Development Manager and will be playing for its club shortly. “And I have written a letter apologising too but nothing has changed.”

“Robinson’s explanation came late,” said the TNBA secretary R. Selvarajan. “Our Executive Committee will discuss the issue on when the ban should be revoked.” The big question is when?

As India gets ready for this weekend’s Asian Championship in Japan, the National team clearly misses Robinson.

“Yes, the team is weak without Robinson but since TN has suspended him, we are helpless,” said P.J. Sunny, the Basketball Federation of India’s selection committee chairmanand a Kerala association secretary for many years in the past. “In such a situation, we would have reached a compromise with the player.”

“I had spoken to Mr. Selvarajan recently. He said they would be revoking the ban soon,” revealed Mr. Sunny.

While there could be good news for Robinson soon, ace volleyballer Tom Joseph is yet to recover from the shock of being dropped from the Indian team.

“Leave alone the Indian team, I am not even among the country’s best 18,” said Tom, one of Asia’s best attackers a few years ago. “And just a few days before the recent National camp trials (after which he was dropped), I was adjudged the best all-rounder in the Tirupur all-India tournament which had all our National campers. At the last Asian Championship in 2005 where we finished fourth (India’s best-ever performance in the event), I lost the best attacker award very narrowly to Australia’s Dan Howard.”

“They say I’ve not been performing…if this is not performance, what is,” asks the 27-year-old.

Tom, a regular in the country’s main six the last 10 years, was also the best attacker in the National League held in Kochi last March. He will now be watching the Commonwealth Championship, which begins this Sunday in Kolkata, very closely, trying to figure out why he did not fit in, in the scheme of things. There could be more things at work behind Tom’s removal. The Volleyball Federation of India secretary K. Murugan dropped a few hints when he said, “players should attend National camps on time and should show the same interest as our juniors.

“I’ve always considered Tom as one of the best players in the world but he is not as consistent as Jimmy George or Cyril C. Valloor were in their prime,” said Mr. Murugan. “And he was not in form at the Doha Asian Games.”

Surprisingly, soon after the Asiad in December, the VFI and coaches had laid the blame for India crashing out after the group phase on the team’s Brazilian coach Augusto Jose Sabattini.

“Sabattini was not a coach, just a trainer,” said the VFI secretary on Wednesday evening. “Coaching is different from training. And Sabattini came up with some poor substitutions in crucial games.”

But while the axe was quick to fall on the country’s best player, nobody in the association raised a hand to take up the blame for picking a poor coach for the National team.

Mr. Murugan is now firm that Tom would not be considered for this September’s Asian Championship in Indonesia.

“But our doors are not closed on Tom and the other seniors. And Tom has not given up. “Let the National Championship come, we’ll show how we can perform.”

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