From players to champions: Review of IITB’s performance at Inter IIT Sports meet 

The Inter IIT sports meet is the most awaited sports competition at IITs, where students from 23 IITs compete in 13 sports events, 2 of which (aquatics and water polo) are conducted during the autumn semester. Students compete with high enthusiasm to win the coveted overall general championship. The 57th Inter IIT sports meet was jointly hosted by IIT Kanpur and IIT Indore from Dec 10th to 17th. IIT Bombay made its mark and emerged as the overall champion for the 14th time after 7 years. 

To understand IIT Bombay’s sporting culture, preparation strategies, and selections, we spoke to various captains and contingent leaders who shared insights into their journey to the championship.

Preparation journey

Beginning of the Autumn Semester

The institute has a vibrant sports culture and activities that encourage players of all levels to participate and the opportunity to try out for the team. Through NSO trials, freshers are often given a chance to be part of the inter-IIT team’s practice.

Preparation for some sports begins even earlier, with even-semester practice sessions and summer camps. Dhruv, the athletics captain, emphasized the importance of starting practice early, stating, “In athletics, timing is crucial—it’s both the measure of performance and a key selection criterion. Summer camp helps combine technical training with fitness preparation.  During the competitive season, we focus on recruiting new members and teaching technical details. However, by then, performance is mostly set, and significant improvement is difficult to achieve.” 

Monsoons often pose a challenge, with the gymkhana grounds being closed and limited space available for teams to practice. This academic year, by dedicating slots for different sports in the indoor courts, players could practice regularly and not lose touch.

Srikant, the captain of the hockey team, mentioned that from August to September, they didn’t have their field for practice due to the monsoon season, so they practiced alternatively with the cricket team on the indoor court and went to external indoor courts for practices. Once the ground was open, they geared up for 2 practice sessions a day and focused on the coordination of the players.

Selection Process

The selection process for the Inter IIT teams generally involves 3 stages: Pre-camp trials, Inter IIT Camp trials, and the final Inter IIT selections, with pre camp trials being conducted between September and November, the Inter IIT Camp being held for 2 weeks after the endsems in December which then leads to final team selections.

Dinesh, one of the table tennis team players explained, “The pre-camp focuses on regularity and is open to everyone. The main team selection considers performance in round-robin matches within the team, regularity, and the coaches’ decisions to select the best players.” 

Strategic Improvements

Several teams adapted their strategies based on past performances. For instance:

• Badminton: Aadish, the badminton captain, shared, “We emphasized strength training and focused on doubles team coordination, incorporating practice matches with external players every weekend.”
• Chess: Nitish Bhatt, the chess captain, noted, “This year, we strategized for two players to push for wins while others aim for stability or draws.”
• Cricket: Ashwin, the cricket captain, highlighted that they focused on building a team of all-rounders, ensuring broader options and reduced dependence on individual players.
• Squash: Jasmine, the squash captain, shared their challenge of limited experienced players, saying, “We focused on preparing players to compete at a higher level rather than just skill development.”
• Lawn Tennis -Tanvi, the lawn tennis captain told us, “This year we had regular fitness sessions and did various drills, this helped us when we got to start playing on the court”

The Inter-IIT camp witnesses teams practicing throughout the day. The contingent leaders and sports council worked to ensure the camp ran smoothly.

Dhritiman, the contingent leader added, “We had regular meetings with the sports captains and introduced intra-contingent fitness sessions. This increased the contingent bonding which increased the support during everyone’s matches.”

The Tournament

The tournament ran from 10th to 17th December with the contingent showing their mettle in Indore and Kanpur. Players fought hard in every match and, when off the court, cheered on their fellow Blackcats. 

Many moments highlighted true sportsmanship and the spirit of the game.

Samiksha shared that after winning gold in the 100m finals, she sustained an injury on the synthetic track. “Both my knees were bandaged, but my coach and teammates had faith in me and motivated me throughout which helped me win another gold in 200m and bronze in 400m in the next few days.”

Ashwin, the captain of the cricket team reflected on the high-pressure match against the home team Kanpur. “We were down 2/2 but keeping calm and maintaining  the required pace helped us push till the end and win with 9 balls to spare.”

Squash girls captain, Jasmine recalled their gold medal match “The finals was with IIT Delhi, whom we had lost to for 2 years. Having our coach on the court to guide us made a lot of difference in crucial points.”

Anshu, the girl’s basketball team captain mentioned that after every match, the team had a session to discuss mistakes, watch clippings of last year’s matches with the same opponent team and strategise for the next match.

 “Instead of pointing out mistakes and blaming each other, we tried to encourage the other person and cover up the mistake as a team.”

Winning the overall general championship has displayed the grit and perseverance of the players and teams. With the cycle of senior players leaving and junior players rising, it is important for the tactics, strategies and team spirit to be passed on. Utkarsh, the contingent leader mentioned, “Workshops, Aavhan, and external tournaments help players be in touch with the sport in the odd sem as well, and it gives a chance to scout new talent also”.  The sports officer informed us that they plan to have scheduled training in the even semester as well as scout for players through various competitions and general championships. We hope that this General Championship win inspires more people to come forward and play to carry the spirit of the Bombay Blackcats and Bombay Stingrays ahead.