Spree 13

The last fest of the year is upon us, and it promises to be one worth witnessing. With a mix of intense sporting events (and their offbeat versions), a plethora of adventure workshops and a musical line-up capable of putting your average cult fest to shame- Spree 13 promises to live up to the theme of Play to Inspire. Having successfully dismantled the stereotype of athletically challenged engineers since its inception, Spree has carved a niche for itself as one of the premiere sporting festivals of the country. This year too, the festival has attracted over 1600 participants, including teams that never fail to inspire awe in the collegiate sporting circuit. The total prize money stands at a staggering INR 5 lac, along with small and sundry gift vouchers that will be given away en masse. Besides conventional sporting events such as Cricket, Badminton, Football, Basketball and Chess; Spree 13 provides an eclectic mix of Special events that include Anti-Chess, Gully Cricket and Futsal, amongst others. The offbeat category at Spree 13 includes popular sports such as Kho-Kho, Kabaddi and Tug of War. For the non-participants who find the spectator stands too dull for their taste, Spree 13 also offers novelties such as Air Hockey .And once that loses its charm, there are always the food stalls. Besides high standards of sporting excellence, Spree is associated with active speculation on the entertainment front. The Raghu Dixit concert in association with the Spree 12 Half Marathon is popularly acknowledged to be one of the best concerts the campus has witnessed in recent years. This year, Spree will host concerts by the likes on Bollywood Playback singer Benny Dayal (of Pappu Cant Dance and Ekk Main aur Ek Tu fame), Filmfare awardee Sand the voice behind Pareshaan and Daaru Desi, Shalmali Kholgade as well as up-and-coming band Aagman. Besides the array of events, specials and concerts, Spree 13 also boasts of an ambitious social agenda. A fest that strives to Act to Inspire; Spree 2013 will be hosting Half Marathon, a blood donation camp, a Special Olympics (on the lines of the Paralympics) and a Beach Clean-up drive. This Spree, prepare yourself for a sporting extravaganza like never seen before. With superb performances on the sports arena, Spree promises to be a true test of mettle. We are ready to Play to Inspire. Are you? We bring you exclusive interviews with the home team captains, as well as what each sport has in store for us this Spree.

Basketball
You know how somebody once said, Basketball is the second most exciting sport; the first shouldnt have spectators. When you hold a basketball the first thing that strikes you is its enormousness. Its large rather round shape sitting squarely in your hand (if you happen to have large enough hands, and you know what they say about people with large hands). Thats probably one of the reasons you need 5 people on the court handling a ball at every point of time. Thus this sport has its own extravagant set of rules, and yet with its own quirks, it is rather simple, yet so bloody satisfying. The BITS Goa basketball team has grown to see the dawn this year as opposed to last, under the guidance of Coach Lambert Captain Rohan Verma and Vice Captain Gaurav Mishra. The team members, quite an enthusiastic bunch, I must say, have been practising long and hard. Their spirit and camaraderie is amply reflected in their game which jumps to hurling abuses at each other and then rebound to the cheerful encouragement that follows. The sharing of hopes, joys, even sorrows, well mostly sorrows, has made them a bunch of people with more than just a game in common, a dream in common! Matches seem to be playing them, with wins and losses and all that falls in between. Recently, they were the runners up at V.M Salgaokar College with Rohan Verma winning best shooter and Karthik Menon hoarding the Most Valuable Player award. If that wasnt enough this Spree they come with nothing more than the promise of a fun, fun and more fun, and maybe a few hot-ish guys in sleeveless jerseys worth ogle-ing at! So if sweaty guys with a knack for ball handling and a lust for adrenaline is your thing, then ta da. Heres their statement: Whats the plan of action this Spree? What are your goals and expectations as a team? Our captain seems very optimistic about the whole scenario. Either way, we plan on putting our best sock forward. Any particular source of motivation? Crowd maybe? Our performance last year has served not only as a reminder that we need to grow and learn, but also made us more determined to do better. And yes, the increased hotness quotient in the audience, even if it is just male, does help. Spree 2013: Long shot or not? Teams worth looking out for? Long, yes. But the whole point is that were all doing something we love. And its worth it just to try. Well, theres a bunch of teams, and from the looks of it, theyre all tough players. So Id say, look out for them all, you never know which one will come and punch you right there. What do you think is the one thing you need to work on as a team? Basketball :D Whats the best part of Basketball? The ball.

Cricket
If any team had to be branded the unsung heroes of our campus, it would have to be our cricket team. Known for doing well consistently in every edition of Spree, the BITS Kricket Klub are favourites this time around as well. Middle-order batsman Abhijeet Padhiary spoke to us. Whats Spree like, for the cricket team, and how is it different from our other matches all through the year? For most of the year, we play in the in the A division of the GCA league, and those are 50-over games. In Spree we play the T20 format, so naturally its a little more exciting, and we get more of an adrenaline rush. Are the teams you play against different too? The teams were up against in Spree are often new to us, and we dont know enough about them to really strategize. We end up trying to best ourselves, which is good too. Teams like SSN (who arent visiting this time around) with whom we share a great rivalry, usually bring out the best in us. Whats the reach like? Where do we get teams from? Weve got teams coming from everywhere in the South, Spree is a big thing here. From up north, weve got teams from Gujarat, MP, and even Rajasthan. Whats the status of our own team? Do we have players from every year? Its quite uncommon for fourth yearites to be active members of the team, but we do have players like Sujat Jain and Harsha G with us. On the other hand, we even have 2-3 first yearites thatve got a good chance of being the playing eleven. Which teams do we need to look out for? CoEP Pune and the team from Manipal are both quite good. Ahead of the quarters, every match will be good one, as by then only the able teams will remain. Anything else youd like the campus to know? We really wish wed get more of a crowd for our matches. Cricket is a spectator sport, and the T20 format is particularly viewer-friendly. Itd be nice if we got some support for the home team.

Football
The purpose of this Campus Watch is get the college crowd in touch with their sports teams, so it seems kind of pointless to be doing a piece on BITS FC. The names of the playing eleven are well known to just about everyone on campus, and weve supported them a great deal through their Second Division Goa League matches. We went ahead and got right back Apurv Chaturvedi to speak to us anyway, about whats different this time around. How are our matches in Spree different from the ones weve watched you guys play in the Goa League? In the Goa League, a lot of the teams are basically using the same strategies. They differ greatly in skill and technique, but there isnt that much variety. So although there are great teams here, we have a good idea of what were up against. That doesnt happen in Spree. Here every team is completely distinct from the last, in terms of both technique and gameplay. Also, in Spree we dont get that 2-day gap between matches for rest. We have to play every day, and then prepare ourselves for the next day. What kind of competition do you have in a tournament like Spree? Unlike a lot of sports fests, Spree invites several colleges that have sports quota. This means were playing against a lot of national player, and the competition gets pretty intense. We get teams from all across the country, including five teams from Delhi this time around. Thats a two-day train journey, and these are teams that get here early and start training several days before their matches begin. When a team does that, you know that they arent here just as tourists, and that they mean business. Whats our team like, in terms of contribution from each batch? Weve got people from each batch in our team, and I think thats quite unusual. Weve got several fourth-yearites with us, including Sinha, last years captain. On the other hand, weve got Vikas Bhatt, a first-yearite, in our first eleven. Its quite rare for a student to play on the team that early.. Hargun played in his first year, and this time its Vikas. Which are the big teams we need to watch out for? Motilal Nehru Evening College from Delhi is one team everyone will be looking at, having started their campaign with a 12-1 win over RIT Delhi. Apart from them, theres Chowgule and SVC, both have great teams. The team from Manipal is pretty good too. Well meet our first challenge in the semis.

Carrom
Carrom, an indoor favourite in the sub-continent is played by almost everyone at home, but its rise as competitive sport has been rapid and recent. Carrom is one of the main events at Spree 2013, and is likely to generate much interest because of the sheer quality of the BITS Goa Carrom team. Theyre a winning bunch and theyve been carrying the expectation of BITSGians since the inception of Spree. Today we met Bhavik Kakka, their unassuming yet confident captain.

What do you think about BITS Goas chances of winning the Carrom event at Spree? This time we have a good chance. Only BITS Hyderbad and COEP look like winning. Last time we finished runners up marginally, so our prospects look good. What is your opinion of this years team? I think we have a strong team. Ayush Jain and myself are both good players and the A team as always, is very strong. Weve been playing in Spree for the past 3 years and I finished runners up last time so were motivated to win the trophy this year. What do you think of the competition at this years Spree? To be honest, other than BITS Hyderabad and COEP, all of them are unknown to me. 8 colleges have registered for Carrom. Id have to say most of them are unknown quantities, which gives us all the more reason to go in fully prepared. Last time, I practised for 60 hours out of the available 72, this time Ill have to practise even more. What is your message to the readers? Like every year, the carom team is expected to bring home a trophy. Well try our best to do that this time. This is my last Spree, so Ill be extra-motivated. Ive never lost a main event at BITS, so Im motivated to keep that streak going.

Chess
Racism at its best with the blacks against the whites in a game of pure logic, thrill and anticipation. While other sports may have you huffing and puffing, chess needs nothing more than a head, a head that functions, and functions well. One move can turn the tables in this matriarchal sport, where bishops and knights and even the queen sacrifice their lives to protect the king. Here come our defending champions. The only sport in Spree 2012 where Bits Goa placed first. While the team sports enjoy the much needed support and fan-following, the Chess fellows prefer to be the dark knights, rising only when the occasion demands so, and sinking back into thoughtful oblivion after. The Bits Goa team comprising of Archit Mokashi, Vishal Thakre, Astha Gupta nd Parth Agarwal seeks to defend their title this year too. They have a meticulously laid out plan of action that seems very promising. Chess being their past time, their hobby, their sport, they will strive to win it. Heres something Astha Gupta had to say: How far would you go to claim that Chess is a sport considering theres no running involved? A sport is anything that you play/compete in; anything that drives you to perform. I think Chess more than fits the bill, just like probably table tennis does. What do you hope to achieve this Spree? We have always had only one goal: to win. Last year, we did it. This year, we hope to defend that. Whats your strategy? The four players of our college play against 4 players of another college simultaneously, and the best of 4 wins. We have full faith in our team, and our strategy is just to play, and play with our hearts. Any words for the campus chess enthusiasts? Its more than just a toy. Its a full-fledged game. So just come out support us and play. Chess is as mysterious as women. What would you say? Well, chess is a feminist game. The Queens move is often more powerful than the Kings . Hence, it does make sense, that its as mysterious as women, doesnt it?

Badminton
Playing an individual sport as opposed to a team one has its own share of advantages. For one, you learn to rely on yourself, have control of your own gain. The same applies to Badminton. When youre playing a sport like that there are only two people in the world who matter- you and your opponent. With great talent comes great commitment. Having a splendid badminton court on campus, gives people more than an excuse to shine their sport gear and have a smash-ing time. Bits Goa of course has no lack of enthusiasm, thus the need for a mens A and a B team. The A team comprising of Pranay Agarwal, Mandar, Malhar, Mohit and Dadu as he is popularly known and the B team with SL, Divya, Nikhilesh, Dwarkesh and Tushar. The girls team with Renuka Pai, Aditi Kulkarni and Harshita Mangal hopes to put up a good show too since theyve been working pretty hard since the start of the sem. The rules are simple. Best of three. 2 singles and then one doubles to seal the deal. No questions asked. With the number of people going home for Spree, they might be left with little of an audience, but that doesnt deter them from attempting to do a half decent job on the court. The team members have been practising hard-core for over a week now late into the night. We hear the racquets swoosh late into the night, we hear the groans on a playful defeat resonating around SAC, but what is the real deal of the Bits Goa badminton team, and what do they hope to achieve this Spree. Heres something from Captain Pranay Agarwal: What do you hope to achieve this Spree that you havent been able to for the past many years? Winning is a long shot considering that international players are coming. However, we hope to get into the Semis. Fingers crossed. As a team, how will you best play on your strengths? We have practised a lot, and focused on our basics and movements. So plan is to play simple, but kick some butt. We wont be easy, that is a promise! Whats the Spree scenarios like? How are the competitors? We have competitors from all over who have played at all levels going all the way up to nationals. So yes, this will be something to watch out for. Youre playing at home. Does that put all the more pressure on the team? Expectations always hover like a dagger above our heads. But we have practised hard, so I guess well play our best and hope we match up to expectations. Words for the general public who find athletic people oh-so-hot:

The sport is just exhilarating. If you love it, you feel it! Its just you and the game. Hopefully more people will see that, and next year will have an even more kickass team! What would you pick: shuttle or cock? And why? Shuttle, for obvious reasons! :D

Table Tennis
The Table Tennis captain, Sumedh Ghasias spoke to us about the teams plans for Spree 13. Describe the TT teams annual schedule, aside from Spree. There arent a lot of tournaments we get to take part in, apart from Spree. While we practice regularly, and Slam is something we all look forward to, we havent played any other tournaments this year. We did expect to get a chance to travel to IIT Kanpur this year to take part in their sports fest, but for some reason that fell through. Spree is important for us, because its the only time we get to face teams from other colleges. Which parts of the country do we get teams from, to take part in the Table Tennis tournament? Most of the teams that come here are from Maharashtra, mostly Mumbai and Pune. Spree regularly sees a few teams from the North as well, and this year a team from Jaipur will be the guys to watch out for. Loyola Bangalore is perhaps the best team that Ive ever faced, but they arent visiting this time. MIT Manipal is another good team. As for the girls, Cummins from Pune are serious contenders for the title. Hows our own team shaping out? The boys team is captained by Arya Mohanty, and I think weve got a pretty decent squad, with several state players among us. Theres always been a first-yearite in the Spree squad too. Last year I played on the Spree team, and this year its Ayush Agarwal. The girls team is well set too, with three first-yearite players Vedika, Pallavi, and finally the captain, Vrushali Prasad, who is possibly our most qualified player, having played at the international level too. You told us earlier that you didnt really expect an audience for your matches. Why is that? TT doesnt really get a lot of attention in this college, so hoping for an audience is pretty optimistic if we have no place where they can sit. The arena is set for the tournament, but weve far from top class in terms of our facilities. The lights in the TT room arent too reliable and switch off intermittently, and only two of our four tables are deemed usable by other players. In the face of all this, it would be quite remarkable if we got some support from the campus anyway. Back to the team. In a nutshell, what are our chances this year? I think weve got a pretty good chance, as weve got a well-rounded team. As for the girls too, Vrushalis presence could ensure us a good result.

Tennis
Cricket and Football often tend to attract the most number of spectators, but a sport that is often not as passionately followed is Tennis. India has a large and dedicated Tennis fanbase but only an extremely tiny fraction take active interest in playing the sport. Tennis is one of the main events and major attractions at Spree 2013, with the much under-rated BITS Goa Tennis team raring to prove a point. The competition is tough and games are bound to be enthralling. Today we met Sudhanshu Maheshwari, the optimistic and cheerful captain of the Tennis team. What do you think about BITS Goas chances of winning the Tennis event at Spree? I think we have a good chance, because recently we went to Pune to play a tournament and we almost beat the defending champions of Spree. I was injured, so I couldnt play, but we were winning. Things look encouraging because Im injury free myself this time. Tell us a bit about yourself and your approach to the game. Ive been playing tennis for the past 9 years. Ive played nationals and won an U-17 tournament before, so you can say Ive been preparing for Spree for almost 9 years! (laughs). Definitely if I hadnt chosen to study engineering I would pursued a career in Tennis What is the different about the Tennis team this time? Any promising young players? This is the first time that were fielding a girls team. Radhika and Sanika (first year-ites) are good players. So are Midhun and Raghav, also first year-ites. And this time Im quite optimistic about our chances for both the Boys and Girls tournaments What is your message to the reader? Id like everyone to come and watch all the games. Theyre held in the morning so the weather isnt that bad. Im committed to generating interest in Tennis among BITSGians. In fact if anyone is interested in Tennis, Im willing to coach them personally from scratch. Wed like everyone to know that we are good team and we go into this tournament having played in many national tournaments.

Volleyball
Volleyball is an extremely popular sport all over the world. Goa is no exception with the golden sands and mild weather providing the perfect ambience for this flamboyant sport. After a disappointing Spree 2012, BITS Goas talented volleyball team are cautious but confident, aiming to go as far as they can against the tough competition. Today we met Abhinav, the Volleyball team captain. What do you think about BITS Goas chances of winning the Volleyball event at Spree? I think we have a decent chance of making it to the finals if we dont make any mistakes. Our main fault is that we make a lot of silly mistakes and if we can eliminate that from our game, well definitely make it to the finals. What do you think of the competition this time? Competition is very tough this time. At least five good teams are participating. Were expecting at least 2 good teams from each pool. Who do you think are the team to beat this time? I think there are two favourites this time, Jamia Milia from Delhi and IBS from Indore. IBS were the winners of the first Spree and Jamia Milia are also expected to play well. Any particular player(s) you are counting on a lot? Bala and Ramesh are our main smashers and if these two play well we can reach the finals comfortably. The first years this time are quite good, they show a lot of interest. There are at least 78 first years who are decent players. We have a good team, everyone has their flaws, but overall I think the sum can be greater than the whole. Your message to the readers? Obviously, Volleyball is a spectator sport and Id like if more people would come to watch our matches. We play well under pressure