Irudhayaraj, himself a student of Venkatakrishnan since his childhood, was coached by the latter between 1975 and 2001. Under Venkatakrishnan’s guidance, he secured a job at TNEB and worked as an accounts supervisor, where he also coached the TNEB basketball team.“Vaathiyar swore by the three formulas — discipline, determination and dedication — and he passed these on to the players. Apart from being a basketball coach, he taught discipline. For instance, if students did not turn up on time, he would not allow them in, nor would he scold them. After they understood this, the students would be on time,” recalls Irudhayaraj.

“His discipline shaped players into good personalities, and helped them reach good positions in society. Not just this, he guided and helped many get free seats in higher education institutions based on their achievements,” he adds.

Venkatakrishnan passed away in 2001, and since then, Irudhayaraj has taken over the reins, continuing his teacher’s efforts, with the support of former players and the YMCA administration.“Only the YMCA has been conducting free camps for students since its inception. Except for a break during the pandemic, we have conducted 64 annual summer camps so far. Students aged 6-18 are coached, and the coaching sessions are held in four batches — beginner, mini, junior and senior. This year, 109 students enrolled in four batches, including 31 girls,” notes Irudhayaraj.

“Additionally, two jersey sets and a basketball are provided, and currently, there are 10 coaches to conduct this camp over 25 days. We spend around Rs 2.5 lakh every year.Besides the summer camp, we conduct regular coaching for students, who wish to prepare for tournaments, from 5 am to 6.45 am, except on Sundays,” he adds.

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