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Varanasi volleyball player Shreyansh Singh, who has played in the Junior Asian Championship for India, is determined to fulfil his farmer father's unfulfilled dreams. Shreyansh's father, Prem Shankar Singh, was also a volleyball player and nurtured the dream of playing for the nation, but due to responsibilities and lack of opportunities, he couldn't fulfil it.
Shreyansh, the youngest among three siblings from Kohasi village in Varanasi, developed a love for volleyball by watching his father play in the village. He gradually progressed in the sport and now aims to play for the country. He said, "My father used to play in the village, and I used to go and watch his matches. I liked this sport and developed an interest in it. Although my father couldn't continue playing, I aim to fulfil his dreams now." Having first started playing volleyball in 2011, Shreyansh went on to join Guru Govind Singh Sports College in Lucknow. Until 2018, he remained associated with the college and represented India in the Junior Nationals in 2016. He said, "In 2019, Sai (Sports Authority of India) selected me, and I moved to SAI Center in Rai Bareli. I left there in 2021. Before that, in 2018, I represented the country in the Junior Asian Championship held in Bahrain in July. Our team reached the quarterfinals, and my performance was the best among Indian players." Having participated in the All India University Games four times, Shreyansh spoke about the significance of the Games. He said, "It provides an opportunity for some young players to showcase their talent. The Games offer excellent facilities to the athletes, which motivates them to continue playing and pursue it as a career. Due to events like the Khelo India Youth Games and Khelo India University Games, players from villages and towns are making progress and benefiting from grassroots talent development initiatives by the Indian government." The third edition of the Khelo India University Games is being held from May 23 to June 3 in four cities of Uttar Pradesh - Lucknow, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Gorakhpur, and Varanasi. Around 4,000 athletes from various institutions across the country are set to participate in 21 different sports categories under the Under-27 age group, competing for medals. The shooting events will take place in Delhi, and the official inauguration of the Games will be held on May 25. (ANI)
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