(Click on the name to download manifesto. Scroll down to see the video.)
What is your motivation behind standing for the post of Sports Secretary?
Arvind: I always had this passion and enthusiasm to excel in sports, to do something in sports. I have this zeal of tuning the sporting culture in our institute, to instil a belief in everyone that they can excel in sports. This is my primary motivation to stand for this post.
BS: I want people to come out of their room and play. My ultimate goal after becoming the Sports Sec would be to get the General Championship, to improve the scenario of institute sports and at the end to make sure that we win the GC and complete our hat-trick this time. This is my major motivation.
Why should the electorate vote for you?
Arvind: Being the sports secretary of my hostel, I have an experience of handling all the sports for our hostel at a minor level. So I feel that I can handle the same sports for our institute as well at a major level. Also, the experience gained being the sports secretary of my hostel, by attending the meetings is enormous. IIT Madras is like the epicentre of sports. So for anything IITM needs from the host of Inter-IIT, I feel that I can pitch the points properly there at their board meetings. I feel that I can do this job very well.
BS: The electorate should vote for me, not just because of my passion to lift the General Championship for IIT Madras once again, but because of the various skills I have. I have good knowledge of finance and facilities from my previous positions of responsibility. I can get things done. I feel that if given the responsibility, I will do my best to take the sports culture of IIT Madras to a whole new level.
What is the one point in your manifesto that you would like to highlight?
Arvind: To get an official sponsor. Right now, there is a cap on the amount gymkhana spends per person for anyone in the Inter-IIT contingent. If we can get an official sponsor for sports in IIT Madras, we can actually get the quality of the goods improved and we can get better sports apparel. So this is one point in my manifesto that I would like to highlight.
BS: I cannot choose a specific point but I would like to highlight the main theme of my manifesto – to provide recognition to the heroes of Schroeter and to get people out of their rooms. Sports Organizing Committee representatives in coordination with the The Fifth Estate team will cover all the important matches happening in the institute like Schroeter, SportsFest and GF&KR. The best players of those matches will be featured on the SOC website. Many talented players in Schroeter do not play in Inter IIT. I aim to give recognition to these heroes. I want to achieve the second half of my theme by conducting Inter-Hostel-Wing tournaments and by having something which everyone can relate to. I will aim to develop the college spirit in IIT Madras to ensure that we get to cheer for our institute many more number of times. I will do whatever I can to make these possible.
What do you feel are the major issues that require to be addressed in the coming year?
Arvind: Sportsmen in IIT Madras need recognition. There is a lack of recognition for sportsmen in IIT Madras. So, I want to have the profiles of everyone – all the Inter-IIT contingent members in our institute as an act of appreciation and recognition for the contingent’s efforts to win the General Championship. So this would basically encourage them to be a part of Inter-IIT team and also it would make the people around them draw some inspiration from them to be a part of the inter IIT contingent in the following years.
BS: Speed up the renovation of swimming pool, improve umpiring in Schroeter, issue more number of badminton cards and tennis cards and finish off squash court construction – I think these issues have to be addressed.
How do you plan to improve the enthusiasm for sports among PGs?
Arvind: If we can make sure that the PG Schroeter happens well, it would automatically generate enthusiasm in them. Let’s say a hostel has 400 people. Out of those 400 people, only 15 people can play a football match. But if we can have PG Schroeter departmentwise, some 15 people out of 100 people will be playing the same football match. So in this way, we are actually increasing the participation of PGs in sporting activities. Also if we can have a PG representative, he can actually address the problems, issues and related to PGs to the gymkhana directly. So this would basically improve the enthusiasm for sports in them.
BS: If I get elected as the Sports Sec, I will conduct PG Schroeter in the first semester before SportsFest so that there will be an incentive for PGs to participate in the former. If they do well here, they will be included in the SportsFest team and again, if they do well there, they will be taken for inter IIT.
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