Note: This interview was conducted before the new lineup of N2O artists was finalised.
Standing at the forefront—juggling EPMs, quotes and coordinating between departments and sports teams—are the Joint Sports Secretaries (JSS). Amid their packed schedules, the JSS managed to fit in a sit-down with the BOSM English Press (BEP) to understand their role and responsibilities in BOSM.
They assumed office in February, after a week-long recruitment process—consisting of three rounds of interviews, conducted by the Sports Financial Committee and the outgoing Sports Council.
Before the fest, the JSS arranged for the jerseys and also called referees and coaches, which had been a hassle, they later shared. They also checked and managed the distribution of inventory. During the fest, they managed all the activities and on-ground logistics, including any physical altercations or problems that might arise. They also helped resolve clashes and ensured that a fair decision was reached.
JSS were also the first point of contact for any team. Their major work was to coordinate with all the teams, understand their problems, however small they might seem, and represent them before the administration.
They shared that the outgoing sports council had arranged for a knowledge transfer session as soon as the new council assumed office. Work for BOSM began last semester, before the comprehensive exams started, and continued over the summer through regular Event Pitching Meets.
Apart from the fest, they were also responsible for inter-hostel tournaments, BITS Premier League, Freshers’ Premier League, and outstation tournaments, as well as streaming popular sporting matches. Additionally, reimbursements for the outstation tournaments were also managed by the JSS.
They shared with pride that the BOSM ledger was the only positive fest ledger, thanks to the generous revenue generated last year in the BITS Premier League. They explicitly mentioned that they were not looking to generate any profit or to cover losses, and had been working hard to give the GBM the best experience they could.
At the time of the interview, the JSS shared that the GBM should expect bigger and better concerts, auditorium shows, raves, and a higher standard across events and stalls. As an example of the same, they revealed that they had finalised ‘Salim-Sulaiman’ for Bollywood Nite. There had been a lot of back-and-forth involved in choosing an artist for N2O—with four potential performers backing out—the final lineup included Shreya Priyam Roy, Vidit Sharma and Rajat Sood. The club events had also been taken a notch higher with new events such as soapy football, paintball, and laser tag. The Dance Club would perform in BOSM for the first time, since the introduction of a ‘Break Dance Battle’, which was also recognised as an Olympic sport in 2024.
The biggest issue they faced was accommodation. There were instances where outstation teams were ready to participate, but there was no accommodation available for them on campus. The previous fests had been luckier, since there was at least one hostel empty—either SR or Malviya Bhawan—but it had been difficult for them to find sufficient accommodation, especially for girls.
The JSS claimed they would consider this BOSM a success once they had delivered on their promise of an improved scale for the fest. However, they stressed that the fest’s main focus would remain sports and that they did not want BOSM to feel like a cultural fest. They expected better participation, higher competition and had ensured that good-quality teams did not back out at the last moment. They were also looking for external media to cover this fest and guaranteed that major coverage would be given to the sports teams. With this initiative, they expected that BOSM would receive greater publicity and that they could attract more colleges to the next edition of BOSM, thereby increasing their revenue.
Especially to the freshers, they reiterated that efforts had been put in to give them the best experience and hoped that the freshers would appreciate the fest. In conclusion, they also encouraged the students to keep playing and not drop out of sports to pursue academics or other commitments if they could help it.