Former Indian skipper Azharuddin graces BITS Pilani Sports Festival

The five-day long sporting extravaganza — BITS Pilani Sports Festival (BSF) came to an end amidst much fanfare, pomp and glory.

The spectacular sporting event billed as one of the biggest Inter University sports festivals organised by BITS Pilani Dubai Campus (BPDC) saw a turnout of 2000 students across 23 universities from all over the UAE. 

The closing ceremony was graced by former Indian cricket team captain Mohammad Azharuddin, as Chief Guest, Dr M Rafiuddin, Convener, BITS Pilani Sports Festival, Prof. Srinivasan Madapusi, Director BPDC, Dr Priti Bajpai, Dean, Student Welfare, and students from various colleges and Media.

The 18th edition of BSF witnessed strong competition and best talents as students vied for top honors in 11 sports categories such as football, cricket, throwball, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and athletics along with indoor games such as chess, badminton and table tennis. 10 matches were played in each category that turned the campus into a battlefield with BPDC winning a whopping five top and 12 runner-up positions leading to overall champions trophy.

Second place was grabbed by Middlesex University with 18 points, followed by Manipal University and Amity University.

Azharuddin, while speaking at the award ceremony, left every attendee in awe with his impactful and inspiring words. Congratulating BITS Pilani Dubai Campus for hosting such a magnificent event, he said,” It is my pleasure to attend BITS Sports Festival as I see so many students competing for the trophy and putting their best foot forward every moment. During our times we didn’t have such a huge platform to display our talent, hence I want each and every one of you to feel proud and grateful no matter whether you won or lost”.

Commenting on the occasion, Professor Madapusi, Director BPDC, said, “This event was a great opportunity for all of us. The sheer magnitude in bringing together universities from across the Emirates is a commendable experience in itself. All students were fantastic and stepped up on the day, creating an enjoyable, safe and inclusive environment for all who attended.

“Our teams have put up sterling performances, demonstrating once again that BPDC is a force to be reckoned with in the sporting arena”.

The various sporting events spread throughout BITS Pilani Dubai Campus attracted a lot of crowds, as spirited spectators gathered to encourage their respective university teams. The final day saw some nail biting matches between competing universities. Football ground was set ablaze where American University of Ras Al Khaimah won 1-0 against University of Dubai.

The highlight of the day was open court volleyball matches. The crowd rallied behind BPDC Girls and Boys teams. 

The sports complex housing indoor games also saw fierce competition- BPDC boys’ badminton team left no stone unturned for their victory against Manipal University whereas Middlesex University Girls Badminton team delivered a brilliant performance winning the game against BPDC Girls team. The day filled with highs also came with its lows as the BPDC basketball Girls and Boys team failed to win against Middlesex University and Dubai Men’s College respectively even after putting up a valiant effort.

This year’s tournaments saw girl’s teams in their full zest, in scorching heat, as BPDC Girls Cricket team ‘steam-rolled’ the competition delivering an emphatic victory as Gulf Medical University chased a herculean target of 91 runs. The most entertaining match was throwball as a huge crowd around the court cheered as the BPDC Girls team smashed every ball to gain points.

Dr Rafiuddin thanked all those involved in the laborious and fruitful event.  All winning teams were given their medals and trophies. The wide grin on their faces testified that BITS Pilani Sports Festival was a huge success.