Libero Anand K and middle blocker John Joseph have withdrawn from India’s senior men’s national volleyball coaching camp in Ahmedabad, citing serious deficiencies in scientific training, medical and recovery support, infrastructure, and what they described as a “regressive environment” that falls short of international standards.
The camp is part of India’s preparations for the AVC Men’s Cup 2026, which the country is hosting from June 20 to 28 at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad.
The tournament will feature 12 teams, including strong Asian sides such as Korea, Qatar, Thailand, Pakistan and Australia.
In two detailed emails accessed by Read, Anand and John outlined specific shortcomings compared to the professional setup they experienced under former national coach Dragan Mihailović at SAI Bangalore.
“We feel we are gradually going back to the old system… With the current conditions, it becomes extremely difficult to achieve results at the international level,” the players wrote in their first representation.
Key concerns about camp conditions
The first email listed five major issues:
Lack of scientific training structure: “No clearly defined or scientifically designed training program… sessions appear unstructured and random… No monitoring of workload, increasing injury risks.”
Absence of strength & conditioning support: No dedicated Strength & Conditioning coach, despite players understanding its importance from professional leagues such as the Prime Volleyball League.
No performance analysis or scouting: Absence of a scoutman or analyst, with no tracking of player performance, mistakes, weaknesses or data preparation for upcoming opponents.
Inadequate medical and recovery support: “No proper physiotherapy support for the past two weeks… Multiple players carrying niggles… Two players have already been ruled out due to serious injuries.”
Inferior infrastructure and equipment: Limited facilities and lack of advanced equipment compared to the SAI Bangalore centre.
Speaking to Read, John Joseph said the problems were evident from the beginning of the camp.
“We didn’t get proper support from the start of the camp. For the past three years, we have been training under a professional system. Here, it felt completely different,” he said.
He highlighted the contrast in facilities: “The facility here is new, but there are only basic indoor facilities and balls. Compared to what we had earlier, there is a clear gap in equipment and overall support.”
“The current Indian coach is very experienced, but the system feels old. It’s not updated to match the current competitions internationally,” John said.
The players drew a direct comparison with their successful campaign under Dragan Mihailović, where India won silver at the CAVA Men’s Nations League 2025 in Uzbekistan (with John Joseph named Best Middle Blocker).
They described that period as one that gave “a renewed belief — a silver line of hope that Indian volleyball is moving forward.”
The confidentiality breach and walkout trigger
The turning point came after the players sent a confidential email on the night of April 9 to international and national stakeholders, including the FIVB and AVC, highlighting the camp issues.
According to John Joseph, the interim body came to know about the mail on April 10, and on the morning of April 11, the players were called in and questioned by members of the coaching staff.
In their second email, Anand and John expressed deep concern over the breach:
“We are extremely disturbed to note that the contents of this confidential mail have reached the interim VFI body and the coaching staff at the ongoing camp… Where is the protection of players who raise genuine concerns?”
They added that during the interaction, they were told that the current system would continue and were asked to send a “sorry mail” stating that their earlier representation was a mistake.
“We cannot apologise for speaking the truth. We cannot deny the realities we are experiencing,” they stated in the second mail.
An anonymous source close to the developments confirmed the sequence of events, noting that the players stood by their concerns.
Following this interaction, both players decided to walk out. “This decision is not made out of disrespect, but out of self-respect and responsibility,” they wrote in the second mail.
“This withdrawal is not only against the current unprofessional camp conditions, but also against a system that fails to provide basic professional standards, does not ensure player welfare and safety, cannot protect confidential communication, and attempts to suppress genuine concerns instead of addressing them.”
They emphasised that their stand is for the future of Indian volleyball and the next generation of players.
Additional concerns on team composition
John Joseph also raised issues about team balance, pointing to the absence of several experienced senior players in the current setup.
“Senior players and young players together make a strong team. This time, there are no senior players. That affects the balance and prestige,” he said.
This ties into broader questions around selection processes and the inclusion of players who participated in overseas professional leagues.
The developments occur amid an ongoing governance crisis in the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI). VFI has been under suspension since June 2020 for not complying with the National Sports Code.
The federation has been run by an interim body since June 2025, originally tasked with a limited mandate: amending the constitution, forming an Athletes’ Commission, and preparing for fresh elections.
In March 2026, the FIVB granted the interim body eight-month provisional recognition on a strictly temporary and conditional basis, primarily to unlock government funding for national teams. An IOA-FIVB Steering Committee was formed for oversight.
An early April 2026 letter from the Steering Committee had already criticised the interim leadership for unilateral decisions, including the removal of coach Dragan Mihailović (who had contributed to improved performances over the past three years), concerns over conflicts of interest in selections, and departure from agreed high-performance plans.
At the time of publication, there has been no official response from the VFI interim committee or steering committee on the players’ withdrawal or the specific concerns raised in the emails.
Anand and John reiterated that they remain committed to representing India but only in a professional environment that allows them to perform at the highest level.
“We are not against Indian volleyball. We are standing up for Indian volleyball,” they concluded.
Read reached out to the Steering Committee for a response, but they were unavailable for comment at the time of publication.
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