Rec 'n' Acc

Rec' and Acc' is going all out this BOSM to ensure that everyone who comes to Pilani spends a comfortable four days here. Commitment levels are on an incredible high and the enthusiasm was evident as work began last night, with the first arrivals of outstation participants. The EPC spoke to Vandana, the COSSACN of the department about the fest, and some of the major changes that Rec' and Acc' have made for this BOSM.

The entire registration procedure has been revamped and made an online one, with use of efficient software that will make the whole process more convenient and accurate. Rec' and Acc' has also arranged for a shuttle of sorts to ferry outstation participants from the Rec' and Acc' booth or the main gate to their respective accommodation. "The routes will be operable all day and prove to be especially helpful to participants given accommodation in staff quarters at the far end of campus" Vandana emphasized.

This department of 30 volunteers and 25 core members has also been seriously working on smoothing out last year's wrinkles. BOSM 2007 was witness to many complaints regarding cleanliness of the rooms provided to participants and in order to ensure a better response this year, special care has been taken to ensure cleanliness. Problems faced last year with respect to congestion are also a distant memory this year, with the upper common rooms in the boys' bhavans also being given as accommodation. Twenty out of thirty coaches have also been provided with single room accommodation.

Vandana also stressed on how supportive the Dean SWD, Prof N V Muralidhar Rao and the Chief Warden, Prof S K Varma have been over the past one month, saying that their cooperation has helped them infintely. And to sum it up, in the words of the COSSACN, Rec and Acc for BOSM 2008, "Ultimately, all of us want every outstation participant to leave BOSM wanting to come back next year."

DOPY - Clicking Enthu

The department of photography has Nandan Reddy heading them this time. They have a dedicated 70 member work-force. Commenting on the first yearites involvement he said they have a very enthusiastic set of 20 first yearites.

DOPY is the biggest revenue generator for BOSM. It generated a revenue of Rs 1.31 lakhs for BOSM 2K7. It’s expected target this year is Rs 1.40 lakhs. This is generated through snaps and other allied merchandise. He said he is happy with the pre-BOSM Bhavans’ clicking sessions. 30 rolls have been clicked pre-BOSM.

DOPY has a booth in old TT room in gym ground. 3 DSLRs will be used for clicking photos for the first time. DOPY also plans to check yhe feasibility of live clicking starting with the inaugration today.

So, DOPY is all set to help preserve memories and put a smile on every face.... Say cheese!!!!

EVENTS TO LOOK OUT FOR !!! (Third Base Issue One)

SLAM DUNK
This BOSM, everyone can play! ...
Slam Dunk- a super selector like game for Basketball is being organized by CEL (www.cel-bits.org). Choose your dream team of five, gain points when your players play well. You can change your team after every match. Prizes worth Rs.8000 are at stake. Play smart and win big. To play, visit www.bosm.cel-bits.org.

PANEL DISCUSSION : 11th September, 5 pm, Basketball Court
This BOSM, BEP is holding a panel discussion on ‘Revitalizing Sports in India- policy changes and campus involvement’. The idea is to have constructive discussion on what can be done with regard to sports administration in our country. A first time ever in BOSM, this panel discussion will be moderated by Ramya (former EPC Secretary) and will see some eminent personalities on the panel. The guest panellist is Mr. G.K.Pillai, the Chairman cum Managing Director of Heavy Engineering Corporation based in Ranchi. Mr. Pillai is an alumnus of distinction with a keen interest in sports and has played hockey at the national level. Joining him on the panel will be Dr. Raghurama, Deputy Director (Academic) and Dr. B R Natrajan, Dean, DLPD, BITS, Pilani. The student panellist is Abhijeeth Kamath, the Table Tennis Captain of BITS Pilani team and is also a former state level player for Maharashtra. This discussion will help in creating a positive environment of hope around the fest.

ANTI-CHESS, TUG-OF-WAR & MONKEY KICKOFF : 11th September, 4.30 onwards, Gym-G
The Department of Informalz presents three events—Anti-Chess, Tug-of-War and Monkey Kickoff on Day 1 of BOSM. Monkey Kickoff is based on the flash game which was the rage on campus all through last semester. Anti-Chess is the game of anti-games where you have to “lose to win”. Meanwhile, Tug-of-War is just that—the age old brawny exercise involving grown Homo sapiens tugging at a rope.

The Gaming Geeks - A Sneak Peek at Ignition (Third Base Issue One)

A fact that very few people know about BOSM is that its largest event does not involve any muscle movement exceeding 30 cm. For the sake of those who are as slow as the one who wrote this report, we’re talking about Ignition - The LAN gaming challenge. With a sponsorship of 1.2 lakhs and over 50 out of the total 200+ participants being outstation clans, Ignition is all set to provide gamers with the adrenaline rush that they’ve always looked forward to.

The SAC main hall has been booked for the purpose, with gaming going on both during the day and night. Ignition has both clan games as well as individual games. Counter Strike, Age of Empires II, DOTA, Need for Speed and FIFA 08 are the competitive events that will take place throughout BOSM. In addition, 12 systems have been supplied by CRISIS whose usage will be without any charge, allowing interested individuals a chance to experience this new game on high specification systems.

BEP caught up with Parijat, a member of the organizing team, to find out a few more details of the event. Counter Strike is by far the most popular (No surprises there!) followed by DOTA and AOE in the clan category. And FIFA scores over NFS in the individual category. (Unfortunately, Unreal Tournament does not have enough takers to be held as an event here. Hopefully, this trend will soon change.) There was a definite word of appreciation towards the BITS management for allowing the event to happen (giving the kind of opposition that Gaming usually faces from most college managements) The total prize amount is 40,000 to 45,000 in both cash and kind, and there will be big screens put up for spectators to see the action from a first persons view.

Ignition was originally conceived as a means to popularise BOSM by attracting a more varied crowd. Though the event was planned out last year, it had to be cancelled due to the hardware suppliers backing out at the last moment. So it’s up in full vigour this time. Hopefully there will be some real “action” at SAC in the next three days...

In Total Control (Third Base Issue One)

BOSM is about to get underway and preparations for the same are in full swing. BOSM Controlz are naturally in the thick of things, what with all the registration, scheduling and organizing to be done. Department CoSSAcn Reeturaj Mishra said they keen to see to it that this BOSM turns out to be bigger and better than the last. A major worry in recent years has been the low attendance of BITSian spectators in the sporting events. To attract and retain their attention, some fun events are being planned by Department of Informalz and Jhankaar. Another new feature is Ignition 2k8, a gaming event that is bound to find many takers, considering the popularity of LAN games in the institute. In addition, BOSM Controlz plans to set up tents for spectators so they can watch the action comfortably. They also plan to upload results of completed matches at least twice a day and post updates and schedules in the messes on a daily basis. This year’s 23rd edition of BOSM will witness an unprecedented boom in the number of participants – up to 950 from 750 last year. Lastly, but importantly, Reeturaj hopes for a good response from the BITSian junta and much better attendance than last year’s disappointing figures.

Money Matters (Third Base Issue One)

Chintan Raghuvanshi, the BOSM SPONZ CoSSAcan, is very enthusiastic about our annual Sports Fest this year. And with good reason too. Thanks to the untiring efforts of his 45 man crew, BOSM has been able to accrue over Rs. 2 lakhs this year. Principal sponsors this year include Saras, UCO Bank, Indian Oil, Nestle and Domino's. Domino's is planning to setup a stall, and the Hindustan Times has agreed to be the media partner. When asked about his work for BOSM, Chintan who is called Chintu by friends and foes alike, replies candidly 'The work does get hard occasionally, but it is rewarding when BOSM is carried out succesfully.' The work has entailed quite a few trips to Delhi and Jaipur, and was partly interrupted by the ongoing strikes there. But despite all the hassles, Chintan and his team have managed to gather a very significant amount for BOSM this year. Here's hoping all their hard work pays off on the field and off it this BOSM.

'Accio' Outstis (Third Base Issue One)

“When it comes to BOSM, it is most important and rather challenging to ensure a balance between adequate participation and quality”, says PCR front man Kamal Ganeriwal. He gave us a glimpse into this year’s participation for the BITSIAN sports meet.

There are 900 participants, 730 boys and 170 girls, from 50 odd colleges as opposed to last year’s 800. This increase has been made possible by the SWD by rendering the upper common rooms of the boys’ Bhavans available for outstation accommodation. Amongst sports football has recorded the maximum no of teams (15) whereas hockey has recorded the least (2).Besides that we will have participation from 4 NITs, namely Allahabad, Patna, Surat and Jaipur. Certain other DU colleges have enlisted huge participation as well.

So this BOSM we can expect some quality sports action from the increased participation and hopefully many more BITSIAN medals.

Of Rooks, Pawns and Knights

Tense, drawn-out battles of the mind and the wit...With some of the sharpest minds doing battle...That is chess for you. Although Rohan Karwa, captain of the BITS Chess team, insists that it is as much fun to watch chess as any other spectator sport.

In this year's BOSM chess competition, BITS has three teams participating in botht he Classic and Rapid Chess tournaments. 5 players each of BITS A and B teams will participate in both the events while from the BITS C team, 5 players will participate in Classic Chess while the remaining 5 will participate in the Rapid Chess tournament.

Following on from their silver medal performance last year in the Rapid Chess version, Rohan is very optimistic about his team's performance this time. With the usual stalwarts from teams like SSN and Shaastra absent during BOSM this time, he says that the unknown factor in the competition would make it quite interesting.

Rohan is also very happy with the interest shown by BITSians in the game. Around 80 people had turned up for the tryouts, out of which 20 were finally selected. At last, he signs off by urging the BITSian population to not just crowd the basketball courts at all times, but to visit at least the finals of all sporting events. They are worth it!

Note: The chess tournaments will be held in SAC all through BOSM. The finals will be held on the 14th of September while a problem solving event involving teams of three will be held on the afternoon of the 14th.

The Mermaids

With BOSM around the corner English Press Club talked to the swimming team captain Mahima Garg about her expectations and apprehensions for the coming event.

The team comprising of seven girls including one first year student has been practicing since 10th of August, with the constant help from the coaches.

The captain does not have any apprehensions about competing with any of the teams coming for this BOSM. With all the good efforts the team has given in, all it expects is good competition,a challenging BOSM.

It's A Six !!!

Anant Padmanabhan, the captain of BITS cricket-team, spared a few minutes from his time and let us interview him, during which he shed some light on the present conditions of the “great” game in BITS. It’ll come as a surprise to most, but the players of our cricket team, in addition to playing in the BOSM matches, have the more important and difficult job of conducting the whole tournament. Be it organizing the matches, deciding the schedule of matches, or the meagre task of taking care of refreshments for participants, it’s done by the cricket squad only, which currently consists of around 26 people.

The captain told us that they had the good fortune of getting some very promising players in the team this time. Even the turnout for the cricket trials was pretty decent, the count finally reaching to 80. Out of these, some 10 people were taken after rigorous practice eliminations. The team is really very enthusiastic about BOSM this year and they hope of winning the gold that they unfortunately missed last time. The performance of the team has been quite remarkable in the last few years though; and they do hope to improve their skills further.

This year, a total of 12 teams (including BITS) are expected for the competition which will be played during BOSM. The tournament would be played according to the proper 20-20 format, and they will be organizing 3 matches per day for the whole period. Considering that cricket is such a sought after sport, Anant also mentioned a few improvements which would be made in terms of facilities for the audience.

All the team needs now is a little luck, and a lot of hard work and confidence to achieve what they are hoping for…

Chak De BITS!

With BOSM knocking at our doors, practices and preparations for every game are now at fever pitch. However, the Boys Hockey captain, Aditya, expressed his belief that some games do get left out in this rush at times. As regards hockey, certain things do seem to be wanting. Firstly, there are only 2 outsti teams participating this year, from GCA and SRCC. According to Aditya, the team faced several problems before and during practice. Hockey not being a major game in BITS, applicants for the team were limited. The team was denied access to the hockey field for about 15 days to make space for practices of other games. Also, all their new equipment came in a mere 1 day before the start of BOSM, giving them hardly any time to familiarize themselves. However, the captain believes that, despite initial glitches, he and his team have worked hard enough to give a good show. We can only hope that this will indeed be the case, and that the BITS team will deliver well on D-day.

BASKETBALL GIRLS

After leading her team to a gold medal triumph in MNIT Jaipur, Aditi Asthana, Girls’ Basketball Captain will look to replicate that performance in a much tougher field at BOSM, one that includes colleges from Delhi that have never been here before. In spite of declining to venture a prediction of her team’s medal chances (“I don’t want to get jinxed.” She replied sheepishly) Aditi seemed confident of improving on last year’s third-place finish. Bolstered by the presence of three first year students (including a national level player) and the early arrival of a highly attentive coach (“the best coach we’ve had yet.”), the team has stayed positive throughout their practice sessions that have lasted over a month now. On being asked to comment on the effect of a declining female population on girls’ sports teams, Aditi offered an optimistic opinion. She believes that while the numbers might have fallen, the interest levels and sporting capabilities of the girls from the current batches have definitely improved, as evinced by the positive response that her team received for their selection trials. She conceded that playing dual roles (team captain and Joint Sports Secretary) has worked to her advantage. In addition to being able to choose convenient fixtures, she has acquired an understanding of what it feels like to be on the organizational side of things, which, she admitted, isn’t an easy side to be on. Overall, Aditi would look forward to rounding off what looks like a bigger more eventful BOSM with a basketful of glory.

Pocketing the Queen

The Carrom team captain Kranti Kiran sounded a confident note on his team's practice ahead of BOSM 2008. The 14 member team (3 teams of 4 each with 2 - standby) comprising many 4^th and 5^th year students is all geared up to take the centre stage in the five events that will be held for the game of carrom. "The support from the institute has been overwhelming" the captain told the BEP team. "We have been provided with the new tables that were very much needed by us, and this has improved our game considerably", he added.

Though the captain was a little disappointed with the low participation of the first year students he told us that the turnout for selections this time was beyond expectations, especially with a lot of second year students taking turning up for practices regularly. The team had started their practice sessions early, and is very well prepared to take the top honours. The captain hopes that people turn up for the events to cheer for their team.

Powerlifting

Continuting with our round of captains' interviews, BEP met up with Siddhartha Sankar Sahu, the powerlifting and bodybuilding captain who appeared upbeat about the team’s prospects during this BOSM. He gave us a brief insight into the team which consists of 14 members including 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th yearites. The captain complained that the event did not attract much attention from the BITSians even after the stupendous show last year where their medals tally was second only to that of the swimming team. The powerlifting team won 3 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze last year fending off tough competition from SASTRA, DU and perennial rivals MNIT, Jaipur. This BOSM holds a special place for the team as this is the first time that weights conforming to international standards will be used in BOSM. The regular two-day event is being scaled up to a full-fledged 3 day event. The team boasts of its edge over other competitors in deadlift and bench-press. The success in MNIT Sports Meet does speak volumes about their proficiency.

The captain hinted that the unavailability of proper time slot for practise does have a negative influence in the team’s progress and interests. As suggested by the captain, the university should step in and ensure that BOSM elevates to the same level as OASIS and APOGEE.

Sports Secretary Interview

The Sports Secretary Kambadur Manoj is very satisfied with the way things are happening. He confirmed that the XXIII BITS Open Sports Meet (BOSM 2008) will see the highest ever outstation participation with an increase of around 150 participants. He also added that the department of Reception and Accommodation has been working through the nights to ensure that the participants are made comfortable in course of their stay at BITS.

Another reason to cheer about this BOSM is the increased Sponsorship ensuring improved organization of the events and better co-ordination among the various departments and clubs. This would also lead to the creation of a healthy environment which would get the best out of the players. Talking about the scheduling of events he told us that they are totally unbiased and efforts have been to avoid having a team to play two matches on one day, but in some cases it was inevitable considering the time constraint and the increased participation.

"This BOSM is going to be the best ever" says Manoj proudly. So he urges the BITSian's to stay on and turn up to cheer for their teams and to the outstation participants he assures that this would be their most memorable Sports meet ever.

Winning may be the only thing but the essential fact about sport is that you don't know what happens next. No one does. So if you have a desire to win step out and give your best and the rest will follow. After all the game isn't over till it's over.

Scorching the Baseline

While most girls’ teams are suffering from a lack of interest amongst, this year’s tennis team certainly is not to be included in the list. We talked to Shivangi, the captain of the girls’ tennis team, and caught up with her about our tennis team. Talking about this year’s turn-out, she told us excitedly how some of the best players had joined them this year. Three girls – with experience at both the state and the national levels – have been selected from the first year. The team last year had not fared too well, considering there had been only two players, but this year Shivangi is certain that being one of the best teams BITS has ever had, they are sure to win several medals. She told us that the facilities provided to the team, however, are certainly run-down and not up to the mark. The courts and nets desperately need to be improved upon and the most astonishing face was the absence of a coach for the girls’ team. However, despite these drawbacks, it was heartening to see the bright smile and confidence with which Shivangi assured us that this year we would certainly win. She said that she would like everybody to turn up, cheer, and participate in all the open events conducted during BOSM. We do hope her team lives up to all the expectations and sets an example for all the other teams too!

Boys at the Table

With the sports mania on campus increasing as BOSM draws closer, EPC caught up with the captain of the table tennis team, Abhijit Kamath, to discuss the level of preparedness and expectations of the team this BOSM. A large number of students turned up for the tryouts this year of which four made the cut, taking the total number of players in the team up to nine. The team already has two national level players, making it a major contender. Talking about the facilities in SAC, Abhijit was satisfied with the tables and racquets; although he said that the flooring is not up to scratch and exhaust fans in the TT room are still awaited. Last year our team won the silver medal as they went down fighting to Hansraj College. Even though the team is expecting a tough fight from Hansraj and SRCC this time too, Abhijit confidently asserted that they had their sights trained on nothing less than gold. He believes that as long as every player gives it his best shot, there should be no room for disappointment. Truly, we hope that this admirable confidence reflects in all the matches they play and wish them all the very best!

The "Baddie" Boys

The BITS Men’s badminton team have performed well in recent years and team captain Amit Deshpande thinks the team has a good chance of bettering their third place finish last year. A large number of students turned up for trials but only two vacancies meant only the best made the cut. There are two teams- an A team and a B team, classified on the level of play, each comprising five players. The new recruits have shown promise so far and are learning the nuances of the game from their seniors. The team has two practice sessions daily of two hours each. The focus in recent weeks has been mainly on match play and fitness. After their gold medal winning performance last year at MNNIT, there are a lot of expectations from this team and Amit assures us that they won’t dissapoint. Amit hopes BITSians will keep up the support they have shown in recent years and leave no stone unturned in bringing home the trophy.

Pinging through the Pong

BEP met up with Kriti Jain, the captain of the girls’ table tennis team, and talked to her about the team and its level of preparedness for BOSM 2008. Talking about the dwindling participation of girls due to their lackadaisical attitude towards sports, we were shocked to note that only three girls had turned up for the tryouts this time. Of them only a single first yearite had been selected to play in the team which takes the total number of members in the team to three. Disappointing as this is it also rules out the possibility of our team playing in any doubles event, something extremely unfortunate. While talking about the facilities provided, Kriti was satisfied with the coach and the tables provided at SAC although she admitted that racquets for the players were still awaited. We talked about the teams that are coming over and the toughest competition that we face. Last year our girls’ team won a silver medal in the event and Kriti confidently asserted that this year they would be aiming for nothing less than the gold. Her message to all BITSians was to turn up, watch the event and support them. Truly, we wish her and the team all the very best and are sure that they will certainly add to the medals tally!

Basking in the Glory

Basketball has always been one of the most popular sports in BITS with huge spectatorship. This year’s men’s ‘BASKEE’ team are looking good to finish well in BOSM, reckons skipper Anuj Loomba. Basketball has been a traditional crowd-puller in BITS and BITSians are known to get behind their team in victory and defeat. Coach Honey has been inspirational so far and the team is playing well as a unit. Anuj credits the coach for the high degree of preparedness of the team and the confidence of the team members. The team undergoes a strict daily practice routine involving an hour of drills/workouts and match practice where the team is divided into groups that play against one another. The rigorous regimen has resulted in the players feeling match-fit and raring to go. The team has performed well in training and we can expect a better finish than last year, feels Anuj. So as they do their bit we BITSians much keep up the support and and play our role in boosting their morale. Anuj hopes the team play the level they are capable of and bring home the gold this BOSM.