With BOSM around the corner, the snooker team has been practicing relentlessly for the past few weeks with the aim of shooting straight for gold this fest. Vaibhav Sharma, the captain of the team, sat down with the BOSM English Press to talk about the sport, the team’s game-play strategies, and his own experience as the overseer. ‘I used to think of snooker as a recreational sport before I came to campus,’ he said. ‘It was only after I joined the team that I realized how much the game had to offer.’

Vaibhav does not look for extraordinary skill in any of his recruits, but expects his players to be dedicated to the game and keen to learn from the team’s senior members. Ever since the trials got over on the 20th of August, practice sessions for BOSM have been in full swing. The pool room is kept open from 5-11 PM every day and players can choose between three two-hour long slots to practice.

The team as a whole wasn’t in excellent shape last year and had to rely heavily on the talents of a few select players.  ‘To prevent that from happening this time around, we’ve made sure that not more than three players train at the same time. This way, individual attention can be given to everyone,’ said Vaibhav.

Ten teams from different colleges are expected to participate in the snooker and pool tournaments this time, and the home team is also anticipating a showdown with a nationally ranked snooker player. The BITS team won two silver medals and one gold medal last year, and Vaibhav expects them to fare even better this time.

When asked about his experience as captain, Vaibhav replied that although the amount of responsibility resting on his shoulders overwhelmed him at times, he enjoyed managing and motivating his team. ‘I’ve learnt a lot about focus and strategizing from this game,’ he said, before signing off.