The Football (Boys) Team’s captain, Tanay Agarwal, set some time aside from his hectic training schedule to talk about the team, its prospects, rivals, and captaincy. The team comprises of 18 members—the starting eleven, five substitutes, and two reserves. The boys will be playing in a 4-4-2 formation, with a  majority of them in their second or third year, with just one first year playing this time around. Tanay sees this as an opportunity to try out different playing styles and team strategies. ‘The team is very fresh, we have lot of new faces. So, there’s no star player this time per se, but the prospect of the entire team complementing each other so well seems pretty good,’ he added.

Their practice sessions span two hours in the morning and two-and-a-half hours in the evening, a regimen which they have been following for the past six weeks. Training began earlier this time as they were able to convince a proficient Nigerian coach from last season’s Arsenal Soccer School Camp to train them for a period of 50 days before BOSM.

The team has partaken in several tournaments in the past, including those held at IIT Delhi, NLU Delhi, and IIT Roorkee, winning the last one. The BITSian footballers, who fell just shy of the finals last BOSM, are gunning for the title this year. The reigning champions, Jamia Millia Islamia, and last year’s runners-up, Sri Venkateshwara College, Delhi are the major contenders for the cup every year. Tanay takes this positively as he says the challenge which these teams pose only adds to their grit, teamwork, and determination.

Tanay, who only started playing for the team in his second year in college, ensures that he doesn’t let his captaincy hinder his performance as the team’s striker. Interactions with the CoSSAc have been hectic, yet fun, according to the fourth-year dualite, who works tirelessly to balance his academics and football. He feels his playing style is similar to that of Karim Benzema, who supports his team as a whole rather than just looking to score individual goals.

Tanay believes that BITSian support is crucial during every match, and of utmost importance when they’re when playing against their major rivals. ‘Please do come out of your rooms and watch the matches. We should really be able to feel that it’s a home tournament,’ is his message to every BITSian, and also his closing remark as he gets ready for another couple of hours of practice.