UJ volleyball coach takes on national duty

HUGAN Coopsamy, pictured, has established himself as one of the most sought-after volleyball coaches in South Africa. The 45-year-old has transformed the University of Johannesburg (UJ) into one of the best club sides in the country.

Last month, UJ won their second Champions Cup title – hosted by Volleyball South Africa (VSA) – in four years. In a one-sided final, they thrashed Limpopo-based outfit Kamplits to once again lift VSA’S premier club prize in Durban.

On the back of that victory, Coopsamy has been summoned by VSA to lead the national junior women’s team at this year’s Brics Games, which take place in China next month. It makes for a busy year for the former Durban resident, who is also preparing UJ for the Zone VI Championships, which take place in Zimbabwe later this year. Coopsamy is a tough talker who believes in intensive training camps before any tournament. “My approach is always to get my team physically fit before they pick up a volleyball,” he explained. “We spent a month in the gym before the Champions Cup. We knew we were going to be fitter than the other teams.”

He has built up an impressive CV, which includes a stint with the women’s junior national team and time as the assistant coach of the senior side.

He will be hoping to use the international experience gained in Algeria, Mozambique and Mauritius in the coming months.

“We missed the last Zone VI Championships in 2014 due to financial constraints,” Coopsamy said. “There is plenty of work ahead as we need to prepare adequately and raise the money needed for the trip.”

His plans with UJ will have to be put on hold for the moment as he shifts his focus to national duty.

“I hope this trip is the first of many as this is one of the ways to improve the level of volleyball in South Africa.”