Athletics is comprised of several individual events held on either the track or the field, and it forms a major part of BOSM. Athletes push themselves to the limit to try and win their events, running as fast as they can, and jumping and throwing as far as they can.

In BOSM, athletics is classified into 3 broad categories—running, jumping and throwing. The running events consist of short-distance (100m, 200m and 400m) and long-distance (800m to 5km). Throwing events include shot put, discus and javelin. Jumping events are long jump and triple jump. The running events are held in heats, and the eight fastest athletes from the heats reach the finals. The throwing and jumping events have just one session each, and winners are selected based on the furthest distance. As per the rules laid out for BOSM, only two participants are allowed per event from a single college, and each participant can take part in a maximum of three events.

The captain of the BITS athletics team, Shivam Arora, said the team started training for BOSM as soon as recruitments were finished. He mentioned that the team has been training very well and has been getting very good results so far this year, with the new recruits performing “like never before”. Shivam also spoke about the bonding within the team, which helps keep up the morale and makes for better results.

The athletics team usually trains from 5:30 to 7:30 pm for six days a week, with one day given for rest. They employ training methodologies used at the professional level, such as reps, strengths, plyometrics (to increase power), speed work, and speed endurance work. Only one of the mentioned training techniques is done per day. In the week leading up to BOSM, the team continues the same regiment, but a little toned down in terms of quantity of practice to give the team some rest and prevent injury just before the fest. Shivam explained the differences between training for short-distance and long-distance training; long-distance runners mostly focus on endurance, whereas short-distance runners focus on strength, power and speed. 

Shivam explained that the athletics team has in the past not been in peak shape for BOSM, owing to insufficient training over summer. In contrast, the team tends to put up a better performance in the outstation tournament held later in the academic year. Last year, the team took part in IIT Mumbai’s tournament, where they secured many medals.

To combat this tendency and improve BOSM performances, Shivam has worked to improve discipline, which he believed was lacking in the past. This year, the team has also brought in a coach, who helps create a more professional environment and bring in discipline. The coach ensures that the athletes don’t miss practice and push themselves adequately to get better. ‘Without the coach, the team tends to quit as they get too tired’.

When asked about BITS’ rivals, Shivam listed IIT Delhi as having been BITS’ main competitor for the last few years. In last year’s edition, BITS Pilani almost beat IIT Delhi in the relay race, but unfortunately lost due to a mishap during the baton exchange. The BITS team hopes to beat them this BOSM.

The recruitments for the athletics team are held very early in the semester, to ensure that new recruits have sufficient training by BOSM. After training each new recruit for a while, the team evaluates if he is capable of representing the team, by timing his runs. This year, the team only recruited one new member. Shivam says that the team’s most notable athlete is Vishal, a long-distance runner who is expected to be the star performer.

When asked about himself, Shivam spoke about his initial struggles in balancing academics and athletics. Eventually, he said, he managed to strike a balance. Shivam said that he has enjoyed captaincy, but it has required him to be responsible and push the team forward. He emphasised that being a captain is no easy job, as it requires a good amount of work to lead a sports team. As the athletics captain, his primary role is to ensure the team sticks to schedule and trains properly and sufficiently. On a concluding note, Shivam was optimistic, saying that the team at present is very talented, and it only needs a bit of guidance to do a lot better than it has before.