VPA, a new team on the horizon

4 years of existence have send shivers in the rival camps

Avinash Rajput

True to its name, Vikram Pillay Academy (VPA) has come a long way in proving they are the best in the city. Their five titles this year (A and B teams) has added many a feathers to their cap in their four years of existence.

The team formerly known as Shivajians was baptised to its present name has made their charisma felt in the Pune hockey fraternity.

Their fourth birthday came with a double delight as their senior side lifted the Saros N Kothavalla Hockey Tournament earlier this week.

The team was started by local residents Jagdish Subramaniam, Manohar Subramaniam, Shafique Shaikh in association with Vikram Pillay. “Our area is blessed with hard-core sports enthusiast who can play any sports under the sun if you give them the facility,” informs Manohar Subramaniam.

This self funded team makes sure that all the players are provided a complete playing gear and their B outfits winning the Fakirbhai Memorial trophy have proved that all that little support does not go waste.

The A team has four players from outside Pune and their accommodations expenses during the tournaments are taken care of by Khadki Cantonment Board vice-president Manish Anand. “Khadki being a nursery of hockey the sports here needs to be promoted. I make my bit of contribution for the team as my gesture towards the international player from my ward,” said Manish Anand.

Vikram Pillay makes sure he witnesses all the matches his academy plays whenever he is city. “I watch every match closely whenever I am in Pune and plan game strategy whenever possible. My main focus is on the B team as it has a lot of potential young talent,” he says. The VPA is looking for sponsors to make their team equivalent to any top national level teams. “We collect contributions from all the founder members to meet teams expenses. But to take the team to the next professional level we would definitely need funds. The team is performing extraordinarily well and we hope some sponsors come forward as we want to make our presence felt at the India level,” Vikram added.

“Vikram watches all matches closely and gives us tips to help us perform better. He makes us work on the weaknesses and sees to it that no mistake is repeated. This really boosts our buoyancy and helps us give our hundred percent,” informs Vinod Pillay.

Making a mark in each tournament, the VPA is surely here to stay and how they take make their next move to success is just a matter of time, which every hockey lover will have to wait and watch.