Sports Secretaries Interviews

The Journal Club BPHC

Prior to Arena, the sports fest of BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus, the Journal Club sat down with the Sports Secretaries to discuss the preparations, issues and expectations of Arena ‘24. The interview is attached below:

1. What are some of the challenges that a sports fest has, as opposed to the tech and cultural fests of BPHC?
   
   Harsh: The major problem with sports fests is that they are very physical in nature; they involve contact with each other. This has consequences like fighting, sledging, or verbal abuse. We’re trying our best to eliminate this.
   
   Shreenidhi: Another challenge we usually face is that for Arena, we usually invite different colleges with contingents as different teams. For Pearl and ATMoS, individuals can participate, but for Arena, they have to be part of a college, and there are a lot of permissions that they have to take, considering it’s a sports fest where they are representing their college.
   
2. What has been done to improve the sports culture on campus by you in your tenure, and do you feel that would be reflected in Arena ‘24 to build upon the successes of Arena ’23?
   
   Shreenidhi: We managed to conduct a lot of friendly matches in our tenure, and I feel that this will be reflected in our teams’ performances as well this year; our contingent is looking pretty strong this time.
   
3. How do you plan to manage crowds that a ground-level fest like Arena has?
   
   Harsh: Crowd management is mostly done by the Organising Committee, coordinating with Firewallz. We lay out a plan with people allocated to teams, and the teams are deployed to different areas at different times, to work synchronously and avoid communication gaps.
   
   Shreenidhi: Like Harsh mentioned, communication is key here, Firewallz and we need to be in the loop.
   
4. Do believe that each of the teams has their unique traditions, and in what ways do you see it during our fest?
   
   Harsh: There’s no such unique tradition, but every team has their type of bonding. Football has a different type of bonding, they celebrate differently, and they cope differently. There’s no unique feature as such.
   
   Shreenidhi: Each team has their own source of motivation, things they do before every match, maybe a high five, a team chant, a team cheer.
   
5. As we approach Arena, what can you say about the condition of the inventory of the sports teams concerning the store room in the SAC?
   
   Harsh: This was in the shadows for a long time, and we’d like if it came out now. We conducted an official audit on the current inventory, AY 21-22 and AY 22-23, and we did this because there was miscommunication between SWD, SAC Incharge and us. Only after this, we purchased new inventory because we had to know how much to purchase and use our allocated money wisely. The inventory is fully stocked right now, and if any team still wants any equipment, they can approach us or Prasad sir, so it should not be an issue anymore.
   
6. How have you shared responsibility for managing and planning Arena ‘24?
   
   Harsh: It’s effortless communication between Shreenidhi and me. We are in the same branch, so we go to the same classes, and obviously, we divide work equally; it’s synchronous gameplay.
   
   Shreenidhi: And we’ve got each other’s back, we trust each other, and that becomes very important in this regard.
   
7. Have you faced any logistical problems before the commencement of Arena ‘24, and if so, how have you tackled them so far?
   
   Harsh: The major issue we had was inventory, and as we mentioned before, we tackled it within the required time. Another issue that still remains is that the condition of some grounds and fields is not fit, so to tackle that we have kept meeting with the faculty-in-charges, and SAC in-charges for the same. We have been taking constant follow-ups, contacting them continuously for the past 3-6 months. We’re doing everything in our capacity to ensure it goes well.
   
   Shreenidhi: Everything in our capacity is being done; we’re leaving no stone unturned from our side.
   
   Harsh: Another issue is maintaining constant contact with the nine departments working as a part of Arena. It is a tough job, so we segregate and allot each other work when we’re free and otherwise so it all works out in the end.
   
8. Why were two different inductions held for Arena OC and Firewallz? What is the division of labour between them?
   
   Harsh: Both teams do not do the same work. Arena OC is for the ease of the SUC, for effortless communication between, let’s say, the team captains and the SUC. Firewallz’s main job is on-ground, their job is to keep the inventory in hand, keep medical kits in hand, overall groundwork. The OC is the connecting bridge between us, the captains and the SUC.
   
   Shreenidhi: We’ve mentioned multiple times that communication is key, so inducting Arena OC ensures that we communicate effectively and keep everyone in the loop.
   
9. There has been a change of administration, starting in 2024. The preparation for Arena ‘24 started in 2023 and has continued moving into 2024. What has been the difference between working with the two different administrations?
   
   Harsh: There’s a change in the directorate of the college, and as far as the sports secretaries are concerned, the authorities that we approach have mostly remained the same. Associate Dean Kannan Sir, and Dean Yogeshwari Ma’am are still there. We still look forward to working with the new directorate.
   
   Shreenidhi: And from our interactions, both directors are extremely experienced, and extremely supportive of sports. The new director has shown a keen interest in sports, and both directors have been very supportive, so that helped us a lot.
   
10. What’s the most exciting thing you both look forward to in the fest?
    
    Harsh: To quote a certain member’s voice, “Who doesn’t want a good show?”. However, on a serious note, I’m looking forward to all the matches that are going to happen, especially Shreenidhi’s basketball match.
    
    Shreenidhi: Apart from that, in general, the adrenaline that Arena comes with, the buzz around campus, where you can go to any ground and a match is happening there; the constant activity around campus pulls energy up. In the end, watching Arena take place, 4-5 months of our efforts come to life, I’m sure it’s going to be a surreal experience for both of us.
    
    Journal Club: We can only imagine the efforts that the two of you have put in for the success of Arena ‘24, and we wish you all the best. Thank you for taking this time out for us. That’s it from our side.