Volleyball, like many other Olympic sports in India, doesn’t quite have the mass reach that a sport like cricket does but in Jimmy George, produced one of the finest players of his generation.
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India as a nation is obsessed with the sport of cricket, which is understandable given the sheer success that the country has experienced in the sport. But a country consisting of more than a billion people will always produce capable sportspeople in sports beyond cricket too. One such sportsperson was Jimmy George, an excellent volleyball player who many would argue is the greatest player of the sport emerge from the country and one of the best of all-time. What is sad about George’s legacy is that it could have perhaps been even greater had his life not been tragically cut short due to circumstances beyond his control.
Born in to the Kudakkachira family at Thondiyil near Peravoor in Kerala on March 8 1955, George got the volleyball bug from his father who played the game at university level.
He played for St. Joseph’s High School in Peravoor. In 1970, represented the University of Calicut volleyball team and three years later he joined St. Thomas College, Pala.
He also represented Kerala University four times from 1973-76, leading them to victory in the All-India Inter-University Championship during that time four years.
He also started playing in the Kerala State Team at the young age of 16 in 1971, and would go on to turn out for the state team a total of nine times.
International Travails
In 1976, he joined the Kerala Police and represented the police team for the rest of his life. However, he also played volleyball for international clubs, most notably in Italy.
In 1979 he turned out for the Abu Dhabi Sports Club, a side he played for until 1982 and instead join the Coletto Club at Treviso, Italy where he played for just one season.
He then joined to System Impiani and played for them in 1983-84 before coming back home and playing his last Nationals for Kerala Police in 1985.
He went back to Italy when called upon by Arrital and in 1987-88, he signed a contract with Eurostyle-Euroslba team at Montchiari in Brescia, Italy.
Glory for India
Jimmy was a part of India’s national volleyball team in the 1974 Asian Games in Tehran, the Asian Games held at Bangkok in 1978 and also in the Asian Games held at Seoul in 1986.
He led the Indian team that played at Saudi Arabia in 1985 and was also at the helm of the Indian side that won the India Gold Cup International Volleyball Tournament at Hyderabad in 1986.
But perhaps his crowning glory for India came in the Seoul Games when he played a key part in India winning the bronze medal.
Death and Legacy
Jimmy’s life was tragically cut short when he met with a car accident in Italy on November 30 1987 at the age of 32.
His funeral in Peravoor saw thousands flock from across the state to get one last look at the man who made the region and the country proud through his achievements.
The Jimmy George Foundation was established in 1989, two years after his death, and introduced the Jimmy George Award for the best sportsperson of Kerala.
The Foundation also gives out cash awards at St. Joseph’s High School in Peravoor and at the Devagiri College.
The government of Kerala changed the name of the indoor stadium at Trivandrum to the Jimmy George Indoor Stadium.
