Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players attempt to accumulate points via shooting a ball through the opposing team’s hoop. Shooting the ball into the hoop after having thrown it from outside a defined line gives one three points, and all other basket throws give two. Successful free throws provide one point each. The game is split into four 12-minute quarters, the second and third of which are separated by a 15-minute break.
The English Press Club reached out to the captain of the BITS Pilani boys’ basketball team, Vinay U Pai, for a Q&A session to know more about the team during the days leading up to BOSM.
Q: What has the team been up to? Do different players have different training regimens? Are there any major problems you’ve been facing?
A: We’ve been working on keeping our fitness in line. We used to do more drills than matches prior to our coach’s arrival. Now that he is here, we are focusing more on matches and coordination. Our coach makes sure we get the right position-specific training so each of us performs their job better. He plans to give us more practice by taking us to Bhiwani this weekend, to play against an Under-19 team, whom he is also coaching.
We don’t plan on practicing too much during the days leading up to BOSM so we can give our body rest for the event. During the last two days, we will focus only on the basics and shooting.
Given that we are a technical college, we don’t participate year-round and only get to work with our coach for about 15-20 days — much less than most other colleges. Despite this, our coach has been very supportive. He is very encouraging and always pushes us to work harder.
Q: Which colleges do you think will be your major rivals this year?
A: I would say every team comes with its own strengths, but I am looking out for colleges like Hindu, SRCC, and Hansraj College. I think are going to be tough competition this year.
Q: How did the team fare during BOSM 2018? Who, according to you, would be the best players on the team this year?
A: In BOSM 2018, we made it to quarters but lost. We came 2nd in our league within the fixtures, having lost to the alumni team. We went to IIT Bombay last year, but unfortunately lost. We did, however, learn a lot by watching other teams play.
One of our players, Pranav Singh Rathore, is exceptionally good. Having led the team as captain last year, he has managed to improve his game tremendously and is setting higher benchmarks for us every day.
Q: How do you usually go about the process of recruitments? How is the quality of new recruits this year?
A: Around 50-60 students were interested in joining the team this year. While eliminating the first 40 was easy, it took a lot of effort for us to narrow the list down to three selected players. When picking players, we don’t just see how good they are at the sport but also their commitment to the sport. The new recruits have a lot of potential. I’m sure they will be in the playing five at most outstation competitions this year.
Q: What draws you to the sport personally? Do you have an idol or inspiration? Do you intend on taking the sport up professionally after college life?
A: I’ve been playing since I was in class 7, and it has always been fun. My inspiration is Kawhi Leonard, an NBA player who lead his team to victory last year. I also draw inspiration from a lot of my seniors and previous captains who have always given me advice and guidance whenever I needed it.
I would like to continue to be associated with the sport by maybe being a part of a corporate team, but I am not looking to pursue it professionally.
Q: How has your experience been so far as captain, managing and leading the team? Has it impacted your game in any way? And how do you go about managing academics and sports?
A: It has been an easy journey, majorly because everyone around me is very supportive. It has never felt like too much work. Being a captain means that I have to perform well enough to be in playing five. Last year, I didn’t get to have a lot of playing time during BOSM. To go from there to being a captain is a big leap.
Right now, I’m just barely scraping through my academics. I managed to attend all my lectures until August, following which the regimen got too demanding. Since there is only one week to the fest now, rigorous practice is the only thing on my mind.
Q: What piece of advice would you like to give to beginners?A: I would ask juniors to just enjoy the spirit of the game. Even if they haven’t played before, they should come to court and try their hand at the game. Our team members are always willing to coach interested students. The one factor that we care about is their commitment to the sport.