Meet the "BLACK 🖤 PANTHER" OF INDIAN VOLLEYBALL A. Palanisamy 🏐 : A. Palanisamy (1932–2007) was a pioneering Indian volleyball player from Tamil Nadu, celebrated for his ferocious playing style that earned him the nickname "Black Panther of India." Hailing from the village of Kallampatti near Melur in Madurai district, he rose to prominence in the 1950s and became the nation's top volleyball talent, representing India internationally and securing a silver medal with the team at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta. Palanisamy's career began with the Madurai city volleyball club, one of India's strongest teams during the era, where he excelled in state and national competitions before joining Indian Railways in 1956. He was considered to be Asia's top player in 1962. he became the first volleyball recipient of the prestigious Arjuna Award in 1961 !! After retiring from his playing career in the mid-1960s following his participation in the 1962 Asian Games, A. Palanisamy transitioned into coaching roles to nurture the next generation of volleyball talent in Tamil Nadu. He served as a coach with the Sports Development Council of Tamil Nadu during the 1990s. Palanisamy passed away on 11 November 2007 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. In a lasting memorial, the Palanisamy Ayya Volleyball Academy was inaugurated on 11 November 2019 in Madurai, coinciding with the 12th anniversary of his passing. Founded by his family and supported by the Madurai district volleyball association, the academy aims to nurture young talent from local schools, providing training and equipment to revive volleyball's prominence in the region; it initially enrolled 40 students.This initiative serves as a key tribute to Palanisamy's enduring impact on Indian volleyball. #AVCCup • #IndianVolleyball