Here is a nondescript village in the border of Mayurbhanj and Baleswar (Basta) which is known as volleyball hub having reputation of producing a number of volley ball players not only to the State level but also to the national level.

Paikasahi under Totapada panchayat of Rasgobindapur block  of Mayurbanj is having a population of around 1,200.

Here, volleyball is a household  game  for the young, be it boys or girls as one can see a host of players practicing  regularly in the morning as well as evening.

In fact, all the players practice and play under a club known as Ranjit Club. The club annually hosts a four-day national level volleyball tournament during Makara Sankranti. And hundreds of players including national and representing various Government organisations, police and PSU  come to the village on the occasion.

This year too, a tournament  began on Wednesday and teams  including national level  were participating in the event which concluded on Saturday  evening after the final match. "Like previous years, this year too we would felicitate the individual players as well teams for their performance,” said president  of Ranjit Club Benudhar Nayak.

Most importantly, the village has produced several national level referees  and coaches. Club vice-president, who is also retired Superintendent of Police, Santosh Nayak said  the village and club had left a mark in the India sports map.

“As many as 25 players have become either coach or referee from this village courts. Several players have got job under sports quota. They are in police, paramilitary (BSF, CRPF and CISF), Railway and in a number of prominent  PSUs. Niranjan Nayak , having service in RSP, is one of the prominent referees of India who conducted even international event,” said Nayak.

“For nearly six decades this village has been practising volleyball as religion. The Ranjit Club was established in 1959," he said.

During the Makara festival, tournaments, players come from Railways, Punjab police, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Delhi and  UP, etc., besides West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand, he informed.

During four days, two days are for the rural teams and other two days are for the matches among  the Government and PSU bodies. Hundreds of spectators  from several places congregate to witness the tournament, he added.