Following a three-hour-long, strenuous practice session, Pragati Singh, the captain of the girls’ basketball team, had a talk with the English Press Club about the team’s preparations for the upcoming BOSM.
A team in basketball comprises 12 players, with only 5 allowed on the court at any given time. The player positions are broken up into Point Guard, Defensive Guard, Center, Offensive Forward, and Defensive Forward. A basket scored from outside the three-point arc will give three points to the scoring team. Baskets from within the three-point arc result in a two-point gain. A match is forty minutes long, with four quarters of ten minutes each. If the scores are tied at the end, an extra quarter will be played until the winner is determined.
A majority of the team players are third and fourth yearites along with a few research scholars. The team has two practice sessions – a one and half-hour morning session for drills and dribbling practice and a three-hour evening session for practice matches. The players are determined to win the gold this BOSM. They finished fourth the last BOSM, losing the semifinals to Jesus and Mary Convent, and had also won a bronze at IIT Roorkee last year. The team is being coached by Shobhit Lamba. According to Pragati, the main rivals of the team are the colleges of Delhi University. Being in a technical college, the players have time constraints due to academic pressures.
Talking about how she got interested in basketball, Pragati said that she was fascinated by the fast pace of the sport and how baskets happen within seconds. She has been playing for eight years and has won gold at the national level as well as gold and silver at the state level. When asked about her experiences as the captain, she replied that it is a hectic job and that there is an undeniable performance pressure. She is extremely happy that every player is giving their best and the team members are showing up for practice without fail in spite of injuries.
As the week for BOSM is closing in, the team is enthusiastic and their spirits are high. They are hoping for all the support they can get from fellow BITSIANS.