Gruelling practice sessions, followed by extensive analysis, have been the order of the day for the boys’ basketball team for quite some time now. With BOSM just around the corner, familiarising themselves with the opposition while focusing on their own gameplay has never been more important. V.G. Atley, the team captain, gave an illuminating talk about his team’s experience so far.
‘The team this time around is stacked with agile, attack-minded, and competitive players. Offense is our biggest strength; I believe that our defense isn’t up to the mark yet,’ comments Atley. The team also lacks players of big stature; they’re unavailable due to various academic commitments. The captain was quick to add, ‘Players with a short stature bring with them swiftness and a certain dexterity, and these are directly related in building the very foundation of our game-play. An important element of our strategy is the “fast-break”, do you know what that is?’ asks Atley. Akin to a counter-attack in football, in a fast-break, the team moves up the court very quickly to get into a scoring position, catching the oppositions’ defense napping in the meanwhile. This offense-minded strategy undoubtedly requires players to be nimble and quick, in order for it to truly be a “fast-break”.
Despite the heavy training, the captain believes that a two-year sabbatical from the sport, in lieu of preparations for competitive examinations, has prevented the team as a whole to reach its full potential. ‘This has even affected players who have played on the national level,’ said the captain. ‘This has resulted in players being unsure about the proper stance and positioning in some cases.’
However, the camp looks to be in good spirits – perhaps out of necessity – at this point of time. With hardly any time left to carry out radical training methods, the team will focus on the execution of their game-play and the prevention of injuries, or, as Atley puts it, ‘what exactly is to be done on the court.’ Another responsibility for the captain is to select the first team to play in BOSM, a process which requires understanding the strengths, weaknesses and the mind-set of every player.
Some of the key players to look out for are shooting guards Vishal Verma and Shashwat Sangwan, known for their brilliant off-ball cuts and aggressive drives to the basket, and small forward Anirudh Venu, the senior-most player of the team.
‘Top basketball teams from all over the country want to participate in BOSM,’ claims Atley, with a proud smile on his face. ‘It is a great platform for us athletes, and the competition is top-notch. Of course, the prize money doesn’t hurt either,’ he adds, grinning. In fact, for what was intended to be a sixteen-team tournament, the captain has decided to accommodate 18 teams, but even that is only half of all the teams who wanted to participate in BOSM. ‘We couldn’t call proficient teams like St. Stephen’s and Khalsa,’ says Atley. ‘What could we do? We don’t have enough accommodation, there aren’t enough referees for such a big tournament, and we can’t afford to break the schedule.’
Even the slight increase this time has resulted in a heavier workload for the members of the basketball team, who have to be in touch with the logistical side of the event as well. ‘This has adversely affected the players,’ exclaims Atley. ‘They are not getting enough rest before BOSM.’ However, the traces of a frown on his face quickly disappear as he begins talking about the arriving teams: many of the regulars, including reigning champions SRCC, along with a few new names like Hansraj College and Hindu College and will be present for this year’s BOSM.
‘BOSM is quite possibly the biggest sporting spectacle we can witness live here in Pilani,’ says Atley. ‘Sporting excellence has hardly ever been short in supply,nor has a captivating atmosphere.’ An atmosphere provided by mostly BITSians since long, the captain has called for the continuous and unwavering support for this time as well. With BOSM very much here, the basketball team look set to make its mark and hopefully regain the crown this time.