"Jammu & Kashmir is a big hub of volleyball" - Delhi Toofans captain Saqlain Tariq opens up on the growth of the sport

Volleyball runs in Saqlain Tariq's blood! Coming from a family that has played the sport for years, it wasn't a tough call for him to take up volleyball as a career. He learned to play the sport from his father and always looked up to him for guidance.

The Jammu & Kashmir-born player has received backing from his family and credits them for always being by his side. Saqlain's father works as a Physical Education teacher and a volleyball coach. His mother is a housewife and runs a small school to teach young kids.

Saqlain has been on the Indian volleyball circuit for a few years, having represented India U18 at the 2014 Asian Championships and played for the Junior Indian Men's Volleyball Team in 2016.

In 2018, he played in the BRICS games for India, and a year later, he won the silver medal with the Indian U23 team in a competition in Myanmar. Saqlian also represented the national team in the 2021 Indian Senior Asian Championships in Japan.

Currently, he is captaining the newly formed Delhi Toofans in season 3 of the Prime Volleyball League in Chennai. He didn't feature in the first couple of seasons and made his Prime Volleyball League 2024 debut against Mumbai Meteors at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on February 16.

The 26-year-old setter has bagged six points (three attack points, two block points, and one serve point) thus far in the competition.

Delhi Toofans are fourth in the standings with three wins and two losses from five encounters. With three more matches to go, the Toofans will look to seal a place in the Super5.

Sportskeeda caught up with Saqlain Tariq to understand how he got into the sport, the growth of Volleyball in Jammu & Kashmir, and much more. He spoke to us on the sidelines of the Rupay Prime Volleyball League 2024.

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Saqlain Tariq was born in Jammu & Kashmir, where Volleyball wasn't a very popular sport and wasn't played by many. The 26-year-old player was the first player from the state to represent the national team and was the only one to do so for a long time.

However, things changed last year with three youngsters - Mahirwani, Shabeer, and Mannat - making it to the under-18 and under-21 Indian National Volleyball League.

Saqlain Tariq is happy to see the sport grow in his hometown and witness more players representing the national team in the youth categories. When asked about the growth of Volleyball in Jammu & Kashmir, he replied:

"Initially, I was the first and only Volleyball player from Jammu and Kashmir (to play for the national team). Last year, three players from the state represented the Indian National Team in under-18 and under-21. So you can assume how rapidly volleyball is growing in Jammu & Kashmir."

"People might not know this, but Jammu & Kashmir is a big hub of volleyball," he said in a press release recalling a local match where over 20,000 fans turned up to watch the game," Saqlain added.

He also spoke about the awareness that needs to be created to help the sport grow in his state. The 26-year-old said that the government, parents, and coaches should help kids and youngsters get more exposure to tournaments and allow them to play in more tournaments.

Saqlain Tariq also cited the importance of playing nationals in Volleyball and how it helps one make a case for himself in the national team.

"Playing nationals in volleyball or any other sport is very important. To get selected for the Indian team, one should play in the nationals and showcase himself. Players are selected for the national team based on their performance in the nationals," he explained.

The Delhi Toofans captain also played for the Indian junior national team and was short of words to describe his experience in national colors. Saqlain was proud to represent the nation and recalled the sacrifices he made.

Summing up his experience, he said:

"Surreal feeling to be a part of the lineup when the national anthem is being played."

Saqlain Tariq looks to play a crucial role for Delhi Toofans and gain fame in his debut Prime Volleyball League season. When asked about his goals as a captain for the third season, he answered:

"I want my team to keep performing better going foward (in every match) and we win (the trophy)."

The skipper was all praise for the Delhi Toofans coach Manoj Nair. He compared him to foreign coaches and called him "relaxed". Saqlian also heaped praise on Manoj for his team coordination skills.

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Prime Volleyball League Season 3 can be watched live on the Sony Sports Network.

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