BOSM 2009

We’ve moved!

epcadmin — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:47:46 +0000

We have moved to the Official BOSM website.

Here’s the link : http://www.bits-bosm.org/epc/

Do visit us and keep sending in your Comments!

Football

epcadmin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:02:32 +0000

We met up with Akshay Sathe, the captain of the BITS Pilani football team hoping to get a pre-BOSM insight into the team. Akshay is not so happy with the team’s preparations or rather the lack of it in the last few days. This is because the 3rd and 4th yearites, who form the crux of the team, have been having continuous CDC tests. However in August, the practice had been going great. Fitness levels are good although the stamina still needs to be worked upon. There were a few hiccups in the team’s preparations due to the fact that the coach came pretty late this year and will get only 2 weeks with the team. However he is pretty confident of the team’s chances in this year’s tournament. Practice will help them iron out the few remaining chinks in their armor. Akshay is confident that this year’s team will be at least on par if not better than last year’s trophy winning team.

He was amazed with the turnout of the 1st yearites and the high energy levels and enthusiasm shown by them. However all but one failed to make it to the team. This was not due to lack of skill but due to the fact that the seniors are better players. The team chemistry is currently excellent, as most of the players know each other’s style and strengths. 1st yearites had not been able to gel and co-ordinate properly with the team during the short trial period and hence have failed to make the cut. Akshay remarked that football is not based on individual skill but on how well one fits into the team. There is one first yearite on the team as a goal-keeper in addition to one first year ME’ite. For all those who are interested, Vijay Sharma has been showing up for practice regularly but is unsure whether he will get time to play during BOSM.

Akshay is happy with the BITS Premier League matches that happened last semester as it helped the players improve on their game. Three new 2nd yearites and a 3rd yearite got into the team on the back of their excellent performance in the league. The team’s strategy focuses equally on attack and defense. The defense of the team is the same group as last year and so is pretty strong. The attack has been enhanced by the addition of a new M.E striker. The formation of the team will mostly be 4-4-2 .There is going to be a practice match on the 13th of September with the BHS football team. Akshay is hopeful of trying out a few strategies and possibly a 4-3-3 formation in this match.

Akshay is looking forward to BOSM 2009 where his team will be under slight pressure being the defending champions. He is sure that it will be a new experience for the new players on the team and indeed a challenge for all. He has this message for all you ‘footie’ fans out there-“Do turn up for all the matches, even the ones where our team is not playing. And of course, cheer for our team. Be there for us…”

Chess

epcadmin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:00:55 +0000

With just 4 days to go for BOSM ’09 we got in touch with Darshan Gandhi, captain of the BITS chess team. The team looks confident of being crowned with glory this BOSM with three national level palyers – Nipun Chourasia, Ankit Jetwani and Mohit Hingorani. Darshan told us that the team has been training two hours each day for the past one month. The senior players and some of the national level players have been constantly guiding and supporting the other members of the team. Darshan said that the team has been working on a few new tricks and techniques. The use of internet and other books has also helped their strategy. He was also very happy by the interest shown by the BITSians for the game. Out of the 80 first yearites that turned up for the trials, 7 made it to the final team. Chess at BOSM ’09 will see IIT Kanpur and NIT Trichy participating for the first time. The BITS team will though be on the lookout for Zakir Hussain College. BITS has 3 teams each comprising of 5 members participating in the three events Rapid Chess, Classical Chess and a Puzzle Solving round.

Squash

epcadmin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 10:53:59 +0000

This September, for the first time since the inception of BOSM, squash will be a part of the sports fest. We recently caught up with the first time BOSM squash captain Abhimanyu Shirwalkar. Abhimanyu was very happy with squash being given its long due recognition. This would go a long way in developing the sport on campus. He’s also hopeful that, because of the game’s inclusion in BOSM, a couple of squash courts might be added in SAC to bolster interest in the game.

Starting with the preparations he said they were absolutely ready and awaiting BOSM. He said “We’ve been practicing regularly, building up stamina and doing drills associated with the game”. The maintenance of the squash court was a big issue which has been overlooked for a long time, said Abhimanyu. These problems should be solved soon so that they can completely focus on the game itself. This BOSM, BITS has 2 teams, team A and team B having 3 players each participating in the event. Unsure of what competition lies ahead he added, “We have to take each game seriously and not underestimate any opponent”. So far, the squash team looks all prepared for the upcoming BOSM. Let’s hope squash adds a new chapter to the BITS glory

Cricket

epcadmin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 09:49:33 +0000

It was not hard to spot Anirudh Singh, the captain of the cricket team of BITS Pilani, tossing a cricket ball in one hand while studying in his wing. Anirudh is very happy with the performance of all players in the team and his team’s ongoing preparations With 6 batsmen and 2 all-rounder’s the team is predominantly a batting side but it is has a good balance of spinners and pacers as well. The team has been practicing for almost a month now with regular practice matches and review sessions. Despite the series of tests and rain interruptions the players are showing up for practice regularly.

The response of the first years was phenomenal with about 90 turning up for the trials. And with many good players Anirudh had many difficult choices to make while short listing the final team. Four first years made it to the final squad of 22, with 2^nd and 3^rd years being the majority. Two of these might get a place on the first team. Anirudh is optimistic about BOSM 2009 as he is sure that it will be a totally different experience than last year. This time there is a lot more discipline, co-ordination and energy in the team. According to him, the major competitors for BOSM 2009, going by last year’s performance are Shri Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain College (SBMJC), Bangalore, JVIT and Deshbandhu College.

Volleyball – Boys

epcadmin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:13:16 +0000

In tune with the captain’s interviews, the BEP team caught up with Jayant Ahalawat, the captain of the BITS volleyball boys team, to talk about the preparation and atmosphere of the team. Despite the rain playing spoil sport, his team has managed to squeeze in practice sessions frequently and he is confident that they will secure the Gold this time. The team is pumped up to avenge last year’s defeat against YMCA Delhi, the team to which they lost in the final.

The tryouts this year went exceptionally well, considering the fact that most people are not introduced to volleyball before college. Two first yearites have been recruited, and with guidance and training from the seniors, they are sure to excel and carry on the legacy of the BITS volleyball team. Vikram, Tushar and Vijay- the new entrants this year, have become an integral part of the team. The captain feels that with new facilities such as the permanent light set up on the court along with increased sponsorship, BOSM-09 will be much bigger and better than it has been in the preceding years. The team, comprising 16 players has a good mix of experience and enthusiasm and backed by one of the most able captains it is sure to succeed in BOSM-09.

Table Tennis – Boys

epcadmin — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 00:01:28 +0000

Abhilash Paneri, the boys’ table tennis team captain, talked about the prospects of a good performance this year and he is confident of leading his team to unprecedented heights. He asserts they started a bit early this time and things are going on well except for the problem with power cuts. The power cuts played spoilsport with the preparation, curtailing practice to 6:30 in the evening. However, he states the response of the 1^st yearites for the tryout was pretty good; no 1^st yearites were selected last year but two of them are in the team this time around. He stresses that the ‘enthu’ is still pretty much there; people are coming regularly even for night sessions despite the power cuts. And this time around, with the inclusion of Doubles team in the games, they’re aiming for the top.

Around 16 five-membered teams will be participating in the table tennis event, including 2 from BITS-Pilani. Admitting that the Delhi and Mumbai colleges will prove to be a challenge, he says they are practicing even harder. He is looking forward to better incentives this year, and expects BOSM 2009 to be better than last year.

Basketball – Girls

epcadmin — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:45:42 +0000

In tune with the sports frenzy on campus BEP caught up with the Girls’ Basketball Team captain Nupur Gupta. She was upbeat about the team’s form and happy with the team’s practice. They have been practicing two hours every day and have intensified the practice in the past ten days with sessions both morning and evening. She was worried about rains as they are hampering practice and creating problems due to water-logging in the court. She is satisfied with participation of first-yearites with the team having three enthusiastic first-yearites this time. The team also got a new coach two days back. Commenting on this she said it would have been nice if they could have had more time with the coach. She feels DU colleges will be the major competitors this BOSM. The team is a great mixture of experience and freshness this year, with most of its senior players playing as well as new players from the first year. She is very optimistic about the team’s chances of winning as the team has been having a winning streak; winning gold medals in MNIT, Jaipur and IIT, Delhi last semester. She hopes that BITSian’s will turn up in large numbers for all matches and cheer the home team to victory.

Bodybuilding/Powerlifting – Boys

epcadmin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:17:45 +0000

BEP caught up with Sahil Sharma, captain of the Bodybuilding and Powerlifting teams for BOSM 2009. He seemed very relaxed, confident and optimistic about his team’s prospects this BOSM. According to him, bodybuilding and powerlifting are two separate events though they comprise of a common team and a common captain. He said that bodybuilding mainly consists of displaying one’s physique in front of judges while powerlifting, as the name suggests, is essentially about lifting weights. When questioned about the team’s preparations for BOSM 2009, the skipper made it clear that it is not possible to prepare for bodybuilding in the one month period between the start of the session and BOSM. However, he reassured us by saying that all the team members had prepared well during the holidays. Moreover, he claimed that the team has a rich legacy of winning medals (5 golds and 4 silvers in BOSM 2008 ) and this time too , they are confident of being triumphant, with their hopes pinned on Neeraj, Rajat, Yash, and the skipper himself. He then told us that first yearites have displayed a lot of enthusiasm for this rather unconventional sport, and around twenty turned up for the tryouts, though only one was finally selected. Sahil also told us about the minor hiccups in their preparation, claiming that initially the team had only been allowed to use the Health Club facilities for a limited period of time since all other slots were full. However, that problem had been resolved in a few days’ time and the team had been allowed to train for longer periods. He further said that a healthy competitive spirit had successfully been infused into the team in the build-up to BOSM with team members betting (in jest) against each others’ ability to lift weights, and the incentive of treats and their habit of hanging out together, has ensured that an atmosphere characterized by unity, self-confidence and a competitive edge has been built up. In his opinion, SBMJC, Bangalore and MNIT, Jaipur were the two colleges they should be wary of, as they could give the BITS team a run for their money, and provide tough competition. He further added that this time around, the team would be missing the experience of a few awesome sportsmen like Sabu (who has been a consistent medal earner over the years but is now in PS). However, though the team is young and full of fresh faces, the members have prepared well and he is confident that they will perform even better in BOSM 2009 than in 2008 and scale new heights.

Athletics – Girls

epcadmin — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:13:28 +0000

With BOSM ’09 just around the corner, we can see preparations on in full swing every evening in GymG. We caught up with the captain of the girl’s athletics team, Nikita Mokhariwale, to find out how geared up her team is for BOSM. Talking about her team’s preparation, Nikita told us that practices have been going quite well though the absence of an athletics coach is affecting the training. Nikita further added that 1st yearites did not show much enthusiasm for the tryouts although a large number of 2nd year girls turned up. “Generally, students have a tendency not to participate in their 1st year but they do turn up in the 2nd year”, was the captain’s explanation to the low response. On being asked if she was satisfied with the field conditions, Nikita said that she has been to a number of sports meets and though the field conditions are more or less the same everywhere we could do with some improvement. Reflecting on her team’s achievements in BOSM 2008, Nikita said that the team had a brilliant streak last year, bagging more than 15 medals, and hopes to continue the good performance in this season of BOSM too. Talking about the major competitors this time, Nikita said that SBMJC, Bangalore and Arts and Science College from Mumbai would be the biggest threats but the team is all set to deal with them. She added that there was a lot of last minute rescheduling last year and the volunteers were not available whenever needed, and hopes this BOSM will be different. The captain sound very confident about her team’s preparation for BOSM. Let’s hope that the girl’s team lives up to expectations and succeeds in rewriting history.