Tennis, being one of the most popular and well-loved sports in the world, is a prime attraction at BOSM. A match consists of sets in a best of three format. Each set is comprised of ‘games’, where one player or pair is on the serving side and the other on the receiving end and the first to four points, maintaining a difference of at least two, wins. The encounter between two colleges is decided by one singles and doubles match. If each college has one win apiece, another single involving different team members is played.
‘The training routine is rigorous; we train in the morning from 6 to 8, and in the evening from 5:30 to 8’, says Aayushi Lohia, the captain of the girl’s tennis team. In addition to the resources available to them in the previous year, a coach has been assigned. He oversees all their training and ensures that they keep at it. For the week leading up to BOSM, the team plans to follow a regime that will focus on their fitness. According to Lohia, their biggest rival is Venkateswara.
The team managed to increase the amount of time per day for which they could use the tennis facilities at GymG. A combined appeal by the coach and the team solved the time constraint issue that the college imposed. Lohia stated that the team faced no other major problem with respect to the inventory or their interaction with the CoSSAc.
In the previous edition of BOSM, the girls’ team managed to make it to the finals only to lose out on the trophy to Venkateswara. They participated in the tennis tournament in IIT Roorkee, and placed third. Riding on the high of a great 2018, the captain hopes that they can use this momentum to clinch the title this year.
Recruitments, according to the captain, went well, with the team gaining two members. The recruitment process initially involves practising with the prospects for the first few days. This gets them back in touch with the sport as most of them are below par on account of the JEE exams. The prospects are judged on their skill and their commitment, the latter of which is tested by calling them for a period of five to six days. The captain believes that the more committed ones will come regularly to see whether they have been selected or not.
Aayushi started playing tennis when she was in the third grade. ‘I used to play a lot of sports back then, but tennis just stuck to me, and I managed to progress further.’ In the seventh grade, she took on a coach. She trained for three years, and after joining BITS, she was determined to continue with the sport which had taken a back seat during her eleventh and twelfth grades. On being asked about her experience in managing the team, Lohia said, ‘It’s been great, it’s been quite hectic. There has been a lot to learn and implement.’ To manage the responsibility of being captain and her academics, Lohia says that one should incorporate good time-management skills, and a genuine commitment to the sport. Her love for the sport, and her goal to do well in BOSM drives her to do as much as she can as captain.
According to Lohia, when she is playing, she has to acknowledge the fact that the opponent does not just look at her as just another player, but also as a captain. As a result, they expect more out of her and she felt pressured to deliver. Finally, on being asked about her interaction with the CoSSAc, she said that it had been good so far, adding that one of the team’s members is a Joint Sports Secretary.