With preparations for the fest in full swing, the BOSM English Press sat down with Aditya Khandelwal, captain of the boys’ football team, to gain insight into the team’s preparations for the fest.
Aditya shared that their training lasted anywhere from 90 minutes to two hours every evening. They first focused on basics before progressing to more intensive drills.
Aditya was pleased to reveal that the team had been performing well, mentioning their second-place finishes last year in BOSM and Thapar’s sports fest. He also took special note of their victory in IIT Ropar, remarking that it was his most memorable moment with the team. He also stated that while the team had not won BOSM over the last fifteen years, the team’s positive performances had motivated them to win this year.
When asked about challenges the team was facing, Aditya spoke extensively about the unlevelled grounds and the poor lighting, with the inconsistent watering of the field also being a recurring problem. He explained that when the ground was not watered, it would harden and lead to muscle cramps, and overwatering would ruin the ground when players used it. ‘This year has had the highest number of injuries I have seen in three years,’ said Aditya, while mentioning he was recovering from a blood clot at the time of the interview. Additionally, late delivery of the equipment they requested was also one of the issues the team faced.
Speaking about his personal journey with the sport, Aditya outlined that he started by being a part of his school team and then went on to become vice-captain in his twelfth grade. He then highlighted the struggles of being the captain and how it expanded his focus from just his personal ‘gameplay’ to the dynamics of the whole team.
Aditya revealed that, thanks to his teammates, he was confident in the team’s chances despite the restructuring it underwent due to the graduation of several seniors on the team. Explaining recruitments, he mentioned about 130 students applied but only five were selected after a lot of filtering.
He concluded the interview by requesting students interested in football to come and practice regularly, and help grow the team and the sport in BITS.