General Secretary Sports Affairs

Fueled by a profound passion for yoga and enthusiasm for various athletic endeavors, Krishan highly values honoring all sports and uplifting fellow athletes. Each competition provided him with a chance to push his limits, gain insights from fellow competitors, and delve into the lively essence of sportsmanship. This rich array of experiences inspired him to dedicate himself to building a nurturing athletic community where every individual's journey is acknowledged and celebrated. So read on to find out what the GSSA had said about his endeavors and the responsibilities he had carried to better the sports background in the institution.

Q1. Can you provide an update on the initiatives mentioned in your manifesto? Specifically, what have you accomplished so far and what actions are currently being taken?

1. Temporary Courts for Basketball, Volleyball, and Tennis

As promised in my manifesto, temporary courts for basketball, volleyball, and tennis are currently under construction and are expected to be completed by the end of February this year. Additionally, the construction of a common ground for football, cricket, and hockey, along with a dedicated running track for athletics, is progressing well and will also be completed by the end of February.

2. Coaching Facilities for All Sports

To fulfill the commitment of providing coaching facilities for all sports, advertisements were published to hire coaches. As a result, we have successfully onboarded coaches for athletics, hockey, football, and badminton. Efforts are ongoing to recruit coaches for weightlifting, squash, tennis, and table tennis to ensure that all sports receive adequate training support.

3. Swimming Pool Operations

The main challenge hindering the operation of the swimming pool is managing its maintenance costs. Government guidelines restrict higher authorities from allocating institute or public funds for swimming pool activities.

To address this issue, several meetings have been held with higher authorities. However, despite pushing for the use of institute funds to operate the swimming pool, they were unable to agree. Instead, they proposed two options: a membership system or a fixed fee of Rs. 500 to 600 for all students, in addition to the Gymkhana fees. The first option is not viable due to the limited number of students, and based on my perspective and a student poll, the second option is also not favorable.

As an alternative solution, after multiple discussions, we have devised a policy to utilize the leftover amount from the current year’s Gymkhana budget to cover the maintenance costs of the swimming pool for the following year.

4. Transportation for Sports Activities

Transportation has been provided for inter-IIT teams to attend practice sessions and to play matches with other institutes teams and outside clubs. Along with this the inter-IIT athletics team was provided transportation to the RN Shetty Synthetic Track in Dharwad for their training sessions.

Q2. You did draft an email outlining the “Procedure for Addressing Queries, Requirements, or Questions Related to Sports”, how was the feedback? Did it contribute to enhancing the management of the Sports Council?

After drafting an email outlining the “Procedure for Addressing Queries, Requirements, or Questions Related to Sports,” the feedback from students was moderately positive but not entirely sufficient to improve the management of the sports council. To develop an efficient management system in our growing institute, it is essential to increase student contribution and participation.

Q3. What were the major challenges you have faced in your tenure from the students’ side as well as the authorities’ side and how did you resolve them ?

The major challenges faced with the authorities primarily stem from their obligation to adhere to government-mandated rules and regulations for processes such as purchasing and construction, which often result in significant delays in completing tasks. For instance, the construction of the temporary ground faced delays due to such procedural constraints. Additionally, I observed some delays within the management system of the higher authorities, which also need improvement.

On the student side, the main challenge is their lack of participation in sports-related activities. This may partly be due to the absence of outdoor playgrounds, but it is also evident that students are not actively engaging in indoor sports either. For instance, the attendance of students at practice sessions conducted by hired coaches has been noticeably low.

Q4. What strategies have you implemented to ensure that all students are provided with equal opportunities to participate in their chosen sports? Additionally, have you hosted any competitions or are you planning to organize any in the near future?

The strategy to ensure that all students are provided with equal opportunities to participate in their chosen sports involves making coaches available to all students without any restrictions.

On Sports Day, we hosted competitions for indoor sports such as table tennis, badminton, and a marathon. Unfortunately, we were unable to host more competitions for outdoor sports last semester due to the unavailability of grounds in PC. However, as we will have a temporary playground available by the end of February, we are planning to organize the GC this semester accordingly.

Q5. How is the overall participation of students in sport related activities( like Inter IIT ) this year? How can we improve this?

The overall participation of students in sports-related activities, such as Inter-IIT, this year has not been up to the mark and needs improvement.

To address this, the sports culture on campus needs to be nurtured, which requires increased interaction between senior and junior students. Seniors should take the initiative to guide juniors and encourage them to participate in outdoor activities, including sports as well as other extracurricular activities, alongside their academics. They need to motivate juniors to focus on their holistic development. In return, there should be cooperation and enthusiasm from the juniors.

Additionally, improved sports facilities, such as better playgrounds and qualified coaches, will play a significant role in enhancing participation.

Q6. What message or advice would you like to convey to the incoming General Secretary for Sports and Athletics (GSSA) to help them effectively lead and inspire the student community?

I will convey to the incoming General Secretary for Sports and Athletics (GSSA) that, first and foremost, taking on this responsibility requires resilience, dedication, and a willingness to invest proper time and effort to sustain the current growth phase of the sports culture in our developing institute. In my opinion, much of the burden of establishing basic sports facilities on campus has been alleviated. Therefore, your primary focus should be on fostering the sports culture by motivating students to actively participate in sports activities and organizing various competitions to engage them.

To check out General Secretary Sports Affairs(2024-25) Manifesto, click here!

The views presented above are the blogger’s own and are not in any manner representative of the views of Drishti or IIT Dharwad in general.