We had all been waiting for “Spardha 2015”, the Fourth National Sports Meet organized by and held at our institute, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida. The days of reckoning were 4th and 5th of November when more than 850 students from over 26 colleges converged on our campus. The atmosphere was electric and the organizers had taken the efforts to ensure that everything went on smoothly. The stage was set perfectly for budding sportsmen from all over the country to show off their skills.

NTPC, Bikanervala, Soy 4 U, Bisleri, Gold Gym, Hutkar were some of the sponsors for the event, which had been the talking point amongst us for some time now. Finally, things got underway with march of the competitors from all the institutes. The audience cheered on every team but of course the loudest cheer was reserved for the home team of Jaipuria, Noida. Dr. Anup Kr. Singh, who has been with Indian Police Service and is now the Circle Officer, Noida City, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest.

We were also inspired by Annie Singh, who might be 11 years of age but has a towering presence as the gold medalist in Delhi state skating championship. The action moved to sporting fields after the oath taking ceremony, which was conducted in all seriousness. We turned our attention to the grounds where a wide range of indoor and outdoor games were lined up for the day.

Cyber games, Volleyball, Table Tennis, carom, chess, Cricket and Tug of war were some of the main sporting events held over two days. While the participants did their best in the field, the audience did everything possible to encourage them. The Athletics events were definitely the biggest attraction of Spardha 2015 and drew crowds in large numbers. The excitement all around was palpable as students remained at their competitive best.

Our Boys’ team was victorious in Kho Kho and Chess competitions while the girls’ team won the Kho Kho, Tug of War, Long Jump, Shot Put and Discus Throw events. Jaipuria, Noida team was also the overall winner, but as per the tradition of not keeping the trophy with the home team, it was passed on to the Runners up. It was this kind of camaraderie that added to sporting atmosphere at the event.

Mr. Anadi Barua, Coach, Indian Girls Football Team presided over the prize distribution ceremony. He tried to inspire us by saying, “You should also focus on physical activities and not restrict yourself to studies alone, because physical activities are good for your overall development.” It was good to see all participants and not just winners taking part in the celebrations that culminated the event.

Student Contributor : Pooja Singh (PGDM Batch 2015-2017)