The BOSM English Press managed to sit down with Manya Singh, the Captain of the Girls’ Swimming Team, for insights into the team’s activities during BOSM.
Around the year, the swimming team practises at the Rakesh Academy Sports Complex, located off-campus. They practise various strokes, diving and perform drills in preparation for BOSM. Manya explained that the work done by the team during the fest also includes arranging transportation for the participants to the pool and inviting the referees.
Manya stated that the events the team will be participating in during BOSM will feature a variety of strokes—namely freestyle, butterfly, and backstroke—in formats of 50m, 100m, and 200m. She added that they will also be participating in the mixed individual medleys.
Talking about the team’s practice regimen, Manya shared that it was rigorous, which made it hectic to be a part of the team. She added that due to the unavailability of a pool on campus, the team had to travel almost twenty minutes, which in combination with the practice time tended to occupy almost three hours.
When asked about their competitors, Manya mentioned that the O.P. Jindal had a notable team that tended to be tough competition. Manya commented that during the previous edition of BOSM, the team from SRCC had won almost all the events, but commended the BITS team for having secured three bronze and two silver medals despite the challenges faced.
According to Manya, a major challenge consistently posed to the team has been the lack of a pool on campus grounds. However, she added that the Sports Council had been helpful this year, with the Secretary providing them with a bus to transport them to and from the pool. She also stated that the CoSSAc had been cooperative.
Manya has been swimming for almost fourteen years now. She divulged that she still felt enthusiasm for the sport, and attended practices regularly despite her heavy workload. Moreover, she enjoyed her experience as the Captain, sharing that she enjoyed the team bonding among themselves as well as with the boys’ team.
In closing, Manya asked all the fest attendees to spectate all the sports they were interested in, attend all the professional shows and eat at the food stalls, as fests were one of the few times they would get to enjoy themselves in the desert.