On November 22nd and23rd, 2013, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida hosted the second annual SPARDHA, National Inter-College Sports Meet. The two-day sports event drew 1029 participants from 36 different institutes within the Delhi NCR region and other parts of the country. Coordinated by the Jaipuria Noida Sports Committee, the event represented two days of both competition and camaraderie as participants engaged in a host of sporting activities that were designed to test their resolve and skill.

A rousing start to the meet was initiated by the various participating teams as they were led by the CISF band in a salute to the chief guest- ShriBalwan Singh, Dronacharaya Award winner. After the lighting of the ceremonial lamp, Dr. Rajiv R. Thakur gave a stirring welcome speech to the various teams; he extolled all the participants and asked them to remain confident and embrace the true spirit of sportsmanship. As special guest, Shri Balwan Singh, said: “Whatever we do in life- be it studies, work or sports -has to be done with dedication.”As white pigeons were released into the air to symbolise determination, love and peace, and the singing of the National Anthem concluded, the second annual SPARDHA National Inter-College Sports Meet was officially declared open.

After such a successful start to the meet, the second day dawned, and it was time to get down to business. With so many athletes participating in the various sporting events, the excitement was palpable as the games got underway. The sporting events were as varied as the 1029 participants who came out to compete. Besides perennial favourites like cricket, football and hockey, other sports were introduced, such as volley ball, chess, carom and table tennis. There were also a host of other activities that tested the athlete’s physical and mental abilities. Events were held along with semi-final and final matches for all events.

All of the athletes embraced the ideals of sportsmanship and fair play as they took to the events. In a show of true diversity, the women participants held their own against their male counterparts, displaying the same drive and determination to succeed as their male competitors. Even in more male-dominated events, the women athletes proved to be a formidable challenge to those they competed against.

As the games reached their conclusion, special guest, Mr. Sushil Rajput, founder and chairman of the Noida College of Physical Education, was on hand to award the trophies and certificates to individuals and teams. During the awards ceremony, Mr. Rajput had this to say to the attendees: “Students should focus also on physical activities and not restrict themselves solely to their studies. In this way, they can achieve complete development.” As the awards ceremony came to a close, Professor Sonali Singh, the SPARDHA National Inter-College Sports Meet Event Coordinator, announced the names of all the teams in turn. The response was overwhelming as the teams lifted up their championship and runner-up trophies in the air in a wave of celebration.

Given the amazing turnout from the various institutes from across the region, it took a team of approximately 200 students from Jaipuria Institute of Management, Noida to orchestrate the entire event.Led by Professor Singh, the team managed to fulfill everyone’s wildest expectations and is responsible for the amazing time that was had by all who attended.

Stuti Yadav
PGDM 2013-2015