Shagun S Verma.
Bengaluru: At an age when most 14-year-olds would watch their favourite athletes get honoured on television, Shagun S Varma was given a rousing welcome with a procession at her hometown in Karkala.
“I really did not like it (procession) because I am not interested in that sort of attention,” Shagun tells DH.
“I don’t like felicitations. I just attended it for my parents as they insisted. I want to concentrate on sports and If I achieve greater things, then it will be worth it.”
Shagun had just returned home having led India to the quarterfinals in the under-15 Girls’ Volleyball Championships, organised by the International School Games Federation (ISGF) in China last December.
The class nine student had broken into the Indian side by acing the selection trials, first in Bengaluru and then in Pune.
After impressing the selectors with her attacking prowess, she was picked in the first 23. Following a series of good performances, she made the 14, then the playing six and eventually was named captain.
“It was my first-ever selection trial ever. We were asked to come to Bengaluru and then Pune. After several rounds, I was picked in the first six and then was named captain.”
While the career has seen a rapid rise, Shagun is grateful to her school PT teacher Prakash Naik, who introduced her to the sport.
“I only started volleyball in sixth standard. I was 12. We had school matches, so our PT sir introduced me. That is how I got to know. Very happy that I did. Then I was put in a free coaching centre.”
It was initially for just trying out, but when she started scaling the ranks through the junior circuit, she decided to go all in.
“It took me a good year to slowly start getting better. In 7th standard, I improved. We started to play open matches, then with my seniors. My coaches took me to district games and then to state matches.”
What began as just a practice on weekends, turned into five days a week in the evenings. Then, twice a day, including special practice 30 days prior to every tournament.
“Earlier, I was only taking evening sessions but now, I go twice to practice twice a day and special training starts a month before a big tournament.”
Having modelled her work ethic and mindset from watching clips of her “idol” Melissa Vargas (Turkish volleyball player), Shagun wants to emulate her.
“My idol is Melissa. I want to be like her. I want to work hard, make sacrifices and want to be better than her. Before I sleep every night, I watch videos of her playing and think about how I can be like her.”
While volleyball might not be the most celebrated sport in India, Shagun has dreams of competing on the world’s biggest stage and winning an Olympic medal for her country.
“I want to play in the Olympics. The senior team never goes there, so I want my Indian team to play in the Olympics and win a medal, and for that, I am willing to work hard.”
Name: Shagun S Varma Age: 15 Major achievements: U-15 World Championships: Quarterfinals U-14 Clusters, Karkala: Gold Mysuru Divisions: Bronze U-17 Clusters: Gold Karnataka Games: Gold U-17 Karkala tournament: Best Smasher U-14 Clusters: Best Attacker U-14 Divisions: Best Spiker award
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