7 Jalandhar players picked for varsity volleyball squad

The North Zone Inter-University Volleyball (Men) Tournament is set to begin on December 10 at the Central University of Haryana, with the finals scheduled for December 12. The Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Punjab Sports University has announced its 12-member squad for the competition, featuring seven standout players from Government Arts and Sports College, Jalandhar.

The selected players from Jalandhar include Manmit Singh (attacker), Rohit Bhumbla (attacker), Mukul Dev (blocker), Pankaj Singh (blocker), Suraj (universal), Archit Sharma (setter), and Gurpreet Singh (setter). All athletes secured their positions on the team after successfully clearing the university-level trials.

In preparation for the tournament, the players have been undergoing rigorous training sessions twice a day. Their coach, Amrit Pal Singh, emphasised that the training plan has been carefully structured based on assessed performance metrics. He noted that each player’s strengths and weaknesses are regularly evaluated to ensure consistent improvement.

“There is a general training programme and then a specific one in which we work on weaknesses and enhance strengths,” he explained. “I am hopeful they will win as they have been working extremely hard. Their diet and recovery are also being closely monitored. We don’t want to leave any stone unturned.” He added that the team has shown remarkable discipline, and under his dedicated guidance, they are expected to excel at the tournament.

Amrit Pal Singh, India’s youngest Level-III FIVB-certified volleyball coach, was recently appointed assistant coach for the National Coaching Camp of the senior men’s volleyball team, adding further credibility to the squad’s preparation.

Government Arts and Sports College, Jalandhar—established in 1961 under the leadership of then Chief Minister Partap Singh Kairon—was Asia’s first sports college and carries a distinguished legacy. Over the decades, it has produced legendary athletes, including hockey icons Surjit Singh and Harcharan Singh, famously known as the “Flying Eagle,” as well as champion athletes Ishar Singh Deol and Jagdeep Singh. Under the leadership of Dr Ranbir Singh, the institution continues to uphold its reputation as a cradle of sporting excellence, nurturing athletes who go on to achieve national and international success.

With strong representation from Jalandhar and dedicated coaching support, the Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Punjab Sports University team aims to deliver a winning performance at the upcoming tournament.