With BOSM ‘26 just around the corner, the BOSM English Press sat down in conversation with Jhanvi Matta, the captain of the girls’ Lawn Tennis team, to get an insight into the team’s preparations. 

Jhanvi explained that specifically for BOSM, the teams competed in a combination of singles and doubles format. Each team game commenced with one singles match, followed by a doubles match. If needed, a third match was played, usually another singles match, to determine the winner. She further informed that each match consisted of sets, which in turn were made up of games, clarifying that they played one set which consisted of six games. 

Jhanvi stated the team had been training daily, focusing on polishing their skills and playing practice matches. She further elaborated that they trained both in the mornings and evenings on the weekends, paying attention to fitness and building their stamina. During the week before the fest, she advised her teammates to give special consideration to their diet and to get enough sleep, to prevent exhaustion and fatigue.

Discussing their performance in the previous editions of the fest, she recounted playing against Sri Venkateshwara College’s team in the finals in the past two years. Although the BITS team won in 2024, they hoped to avenge their loss from last year in this edition of BOSM. Talking about other tournaments, she recalled that the team had won InterBITS held at the Hyderabad campus last year, and hoped to explore more outstation competitions this year.

She also explained that she tried to set an example for her juniors to encourage them to manage their time well between sports and academics. She reflected on her two years on the team, recalling how she watched new players join, her seniors graduate, and witnessed the team evolve and improve along the way. 

As a parting note, she encouraged the student body to show up, support, and cheer the team on, describing the matches as quite entertaining and fun to watch.