Practice sessions were in full swing at the Old Student Activity Centre (SAC), when the BOSM English Press caught up with the captain of the carrom team, M Ashwin. While carrom may be a childhood memory for many, Ashwin believes it is a lot more than that. ‘Back home it was played just for fun, but now the approach is completely different. While you only thought of striking a coin before, now there are tactics involved-you have to block the opponent as well,’ he explained.

Students from across the years were recruited early in August, and practice began soon after. The team has been practising for three hours every day and has been putting in more hours as the fest draws nearer. The captain explained that starting practice early has helped put the team at ease with different styles of play.

Ashwin has been focused on adapting to the nature of play that he has seen in previous editions. ‘The morale of the team is high and new recruits are dedicated and are improving quickly’ he said.

Members compete as two teams—BITS A and BITS B. Each team consists of five members. The three-day carrom event starts from day one of BOSM and comprises of two singles and two doubles matches.

In BOSM 2017, the team put up their best performance of recent years, finishing 2nd and 3rd. Ashwin hopes to keep that momentum going and is eyeing the gold medal. He states that defeating BITS Hyderabad and Thakur College of Engineering will be the major challenges this time around.

Having played carrom since childhood, Ashwin spoke about how joining the team changed his approach towards the game. He detailed how seniors guided him as he explored the intricacies of the game. He also talked about how captaincy brought out the best in him. ‘If I play well, the team plays well to meet my expectations and better results are produced.’

Ashwin plays the game for his own satisfaction and finds it refreshing. He is satisfied with the way he balanced his academic and other commitments on campus with his work as captain. His dealings with the CoSSAc and the Sports Council, regarding team invites and equipment respectively, have been fruitful.

“It isn’t the game we play in our houses, there is so much more happening. BITSians should come and watch the event, it’ll be a big boost for the team,” said Ashwin as he went to rejoin his team in the old SAC room.