Abhijit Bhattacharya, captain of the Indian volleyball team

Guwahati, April 13: Indian volleyball team skipper Abhijit Bhattacharya today confirmed that he would represent Assam in the 33rd National Games to be held here. He has further been entrusted with the responsibility to prepare the host state squad for the mega event.

Bhattacharya confirmed his availability in a special meeting of the Assam Volleyball Association (AVA) technical body here today and promised to help the state stitch up a strong squad.

?Yes, I am available for Assam for the National Games. Since Uttaranchal, which I have been representing at the national level, has pulled out of the National Games and Uttar Pradesh has been given recognition in lieu, I will be free to represent my home state,? the Dehradun-based ONGC employee told The Telegraph.

?I have already sought permission from the Uttaranchal body where I am registered with and they have agreed in principle to issue a no-objection certificate,? Bhattacharya added.

?I have also been entrusted by the AVA to pick up few more outstation spikers to stitch up a strong team for Assam. Volleyball is a team game and only one man cannot ensure a big difference. So we will need few more professionals besides myself to ensure medals as the National Games is going to be participated by quite strong teams,? he said.

The Tezpur spiker will look for his teammates in the forthcoming camps for the Asian Games and SAF Games in Bangalore. He will also be on the look out for a national level coach in a coaches? clinic going on in Bangalore under a Brazilian coach.

?I will extend Assam?s offer to the best coach available who can afford to give some time for our spikers,? Bhattacharya said. He is supposed to submit a list of probable outstation players and coach by April 20.

As far as the coaching for the home-grown spikers are concerned, AVA president Kumar Dipak Das, who presided over today?s meeting, said the third-phase camp would be held soon after the Bihu festival.

?We will not have to take much care of the outstation players as far as coaching is concerned because they are already well-trained. What we will have to take utmost care of are our home-grown spikers who need specialised coaching,? Das said. The AVA has so far organised two coaching camps for the National Games team preparation. As many as 24 spikers have been shortlisted from the camps held in Nagaon and Barpeta.

Sources said while the outstation players for the men?s team may be from Uttaranchal, the AVA will look for women spikers from West Bengal and the nearby states.

Today?s meeting further resolved to seek sponsorship from the Bongaigaon Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd and Coal India Ltd. The Directorate of Sports has also assured financial assistance to the tune of Rs 1.5 lakh for the coaching purpose, Das said.

The meeting was attended, among others, by AVA vice-president and Abhijit?s father Ganga Charan Bhattacharya and other members and assistant director of sports Bhupen Choudhury, who is looking after the funding from the Directorate of Sports for preparation of the state teams for the National Games.

The AVA has further resolved to field squads in the forthcoming mini nationals and youth nationals in Bangalore. While both boys and girls will participate in the mini nationals from May 9 to 14, the youth nationals from May 25 to 30 will be represented only by the boys.