Union Handball Academy at Annanad near Chalakudy, one of the six finalists for the Manorama Sports Club Award 2020-21, has developed a reputation for producing quality players.
Established in 2011 at the Union Higher Secondary School at Annanad, Union Handball Academy's vision is to groom youngsters to take up handball as a career and, to this end, it provides the necessary infrastructure required to nurture professional players. In the past two years, as many as 23 products from the academy have represented Kerala at national-level tournaments. Besides, 184 trainees have so far won medals at the state-level handball championships. The 11-year-old academy has grown into a major force in Kerala's handball arena, thanks to its visionary patrons and experienced coaches. As its name suggests, the Union Handball Academy thrives on the values of unity.
The Union Higher Secondary School became a beehive of sporting activities, especially handball, after former handball player Giby V Pereppadan took charge as the school's physical education teacher in 2011. As handball was relatively unpopular among the students, it was not easy to persuade them to take up the sport. As a result, there was not a single girl student among the 18 children who joined the academy in the first year. However, within one year, the school hosted the state sub-junior handball championship. The school team, filled with trainees from the academy, won second in the girls' category and stood third in the boys' section. It was the turning point in Union Handball Academy's growth story as children started showing keenness to take up the sport.
In the past two years, the facility went from strength to strength. In 2020, as many as 49 children won medals at district-level championships, representing the Union Handball Academy. Also, 18 academy trainees secured gold medals at state championships during the period. Among them, 15 represented the state team as well. Although the state handball championship did not take place in 2020 due to the COVID-19 situation, eight academy products took part in the national championship representing Kerala.
Over the past decade, the Union Handball Academy has enjoyed unrivalled dominance at Thrissur sub-district and revenue districts championships. The academy was also the driving force behind Thrissur's dominance in the state-level championships. It was a proud moment for the Union Handball Academy when two of its products recently landed a job in the Indian Army under the sports quota.
