As the countdown to BOSM begins, the BOSM English Press spoke with Tanushree Dakhane, captain of the girls’ badminton team, to discuss their training and game plan for the upcoming matches.
Tanushree began by breaking down the format of the game, explaining that the girls’ badminton had three rounds—singles, doubles, and reverse singles—wherein a player could only participate in at most two. She further noted that the team had to win two of the three rounds, each playing the best of three sets up to 21 points. For BOSM, she noted that the tournament had three team events—the women’s team, the men’s team, and mixed doubles—with the squad anticipating around 9 outstation teams to compete.
She credited much of their progress to a supportive coach who helped improve their game. She said that this allowed her to focus more on team unity and ensure people showed up for the practice sessions. Detailing their demanding routine, she shared that the morning practice at 6:00 AM was held 4 times a week, during which they hit GymG for runs and core workouts, while evening practice at the court at 6:00 PM involved drills and match practice.
While she admitted the schedule was very hectic, she noted that the players’ dedication had kept them going, knowing the intensity would ease up once the fest concluded. She also pointed out that getting selected was exceptionally difficult. When it came to their biggest on-court competition, she noted that Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) provided very tough competition, and the team was excited to play against them. She added that beyond BOSM, the team competed in InterBits and participated in competitions organised by various other institutes.
As the captain, she commented that her biggest hurdle was to get players to show up for the 6:00 AM practice. While she understood that quizzes and other commitments made it tough, getting the players on court for such long hours every day was a big hassle. She added that player injuries before the fest remained a constant concern. She reflected that the captaincy was a profound learning experience, despite being hectic and challenging.
Having been part of the team since her first year, she mentioned that BOSM had always been about practice and medals to her. However, for her juniors, she hoped for improved fitness, game, and bonding. She emphasised that above all, she wanted her team to be unified and have a ‘beautiful and fun BOSM’, and encouraged them to make memories and embrace every bit of the experience between matches.