New Delhi, April 4 -- In the twilight of his volleyball career, Abhijit Bhattacharya started thinking of ways to give back to the game. He had his answer one morning in 2009 when he bumped into a few teenagers who sat despondent with a punctured ball by their side in Thelamara, Assam. "Buying them a new ball was a temporary measure. The idea was to make it sustainable," says the former captain of the national men's volleyball team

On a whim, he put together a one-day tournament the next weekend. By afternoon, a crowd had gathered around the mud court. With the enthusiastic talent in the middle and the vociferous support they got, Bhattacharya, 47, knew he was on to something.

It laid the foundation for the Brahmaputra Volleyball League ...