Jimmy George: The genius that towered over the rest
Jimmy George in a picture taken from his time in Italy
Flight is something that plenty attempt, but few attain. And the ones who manage to sustain their flight are fewer still.
To many, NBA legend Michael Jordan redefined ‘hang time’ with his ability to seemingly stay afloat mid-air for just that little bit longer than his contemporaries could. But close to a decade before Jordan even set foot on an NBA floor, a genius from the remote, obscure village of Peravoor in Northern Kerala had started defying the laws of gravity.
The name of Jimmy George will conjure images of a tall man rising majestically above the net and sending down a thunderous spike much to the delight of the assembled audience. He was one of those players who was just a joy to behold when in full flow.
George is one of those little known Indian athletes who contributed a great deal to the sport in India. The wizardry at his disposal was almost unparalleled and it made him one of the most delightful volleyball players to watch for not just people in India, but also those from other countries.
His ability to almost eternally stay in the air while going for a smash was the stuff of legend and was the standout draw for volleyball supporters every time he took to the courts. Rising head and shoulders above, his leap tended to dwarf the rest of the players on court, seemingly elevating him to a heavenly pedestal that somehow seemed to be reserved only for him.
Post the swoon that accompanied his majestic ascent came the reverberating thump of Jimmy’s spike that almost inevitably got his team the point or at least close to a point.
He came to be known as the ultimate exponent of power volleyball in his time as well as a remorseless executioner when it came to pulling off smashes. His command on ‘hang time’ was such that he could pause for that extra second that he stayed suspended, to survey his options and decide where to place his thundering smash.
Playing career
Jimmy George was born into the famous Kudakkachira family in Kerala and picked up volleyball from a very young age thanks to his father, himself a volleyball player who had played competitively for Madras University while studying law there.
He played for the St. Joseph’s High School in Peravoor before becoming a part of the University of Calicut volleyball team. He shifted to St. Thomas College in Pala in 1973 and then went on to play for Kerala University four times between 1973 and 1976.
His university side won the All India Inter-University Championship in each of the four years that he played for them. He captained the side in 1973. Then in 1976, he suddenly quit medical college and opted to join the Kerala Police team.
His meteoric rise was noticed by everyone and he soon earned a spot in the Kerala national team at the age of 16 in the year 1971.
It was in 1979 when his international sojourn began. He took a break from the Kerala Police team that year to go play in the Middle-East with Abu Dhabi sports club where he spent three years. Then came one of the most significant decisions of his career, when in 1982, he left to Italy to play for Coletto Club in Treviso, Italy. He guided Trevisco into Italy’s top league, the Serie A, in his very first season.
He played a season there before returning to India and playing some more, including his last Nationals at Kanpur in 1985, before being almost inevitably drawn back to Italy, this time to play for a different team Arrital.
From there he would sign a contract with the Eurostyle-Euroslba team in the Montchiari region of Brescia.