With BOSM just around the corner, the BOSM English Press sat down with Jiya Sethi, Captain of the girls’ football team, for a quick chat about their preparations for the upcoming tournament.

Jiya noted that practice had been much more intense compared to previous years, with about one and a half hours of practice every day. She added that their regimen consisted of basic training for the whole team combined with separate morning practices for specific positions, such as the goalkeeper. She was also quite appreciative of the team coach, Suraj Rawat, stating that he had been a massive support throughout, often deciding their training schedules and drills.

When asked about recruitment, she revealed that they had four freshers this year, some of whom had previously competed at the state and national levels. Their team of ten players, with seven on-field and three substitutes, also consisted of a few higher-degree students who had approached her, showing interest in the game.

She mentioned that, with football being a team-based sport, aligning the players’ schedules with that of the coach had proved to be taxing. Heavy rains over the past month, which stopped practice quite often, were also a major setback. Additionally, power outages in GymG had led to the lights being switched off for random durations, which had also hampered practices.

She explained that the tournament itself would be conducted in a round-robin style initially, with all 5 teams competing against one another at least once. The top 3 teams would compete in the knock-offs to secure first place. Jiya noted that MUJ was expected to be their biggest rival this BOSM. Regardless, she was confident in the team, stating that they had a very balanced team of both freshers and seniors, all of whom had a lot of understanding and respect for each other. She commented that their target for this BOSM was to secure the gold medal. 

On a parting note, she requested all BITSians to come and support the teams participating in this edition of BOSM.