11^th April 2023, Greater Noida: The four-day sports extravaganza, “SPORTIKON 2023”, Bennett University’s Annual Inter-Varsity Sports Fest came to an end and marked a huge success with an overwhelming registration of 650 participants in sixteen different sports from 45 universities & colleges all across the country. The participants showcased their athletic prowess and exemplary sportsmanship, thereby adding fervor to the highly competitive event while competing in 16 different sports disciplines like Cricket, Football, Volleyball, Kabaddi, Squash, Pool, Snooker, Futsal, Chess, Badminton, Basketball, Tennis, Table Tennis, Shotput, Discuss Throw, Long Jump.

The last day of Sportikon fostered a positive and thrilling atmosphere for participants marked with success and triumph. The event has undeniably established itself as a landmark on the university’s academic calendar, inculcating sportsmanship and fitness among the students. It was the day when the efforts of all the colleges were rewarded. Participants were conferred with gold, silver and bronze medals along with certificates and cash prizes.

Sportikon, an event filled with fun, music, energy, sportsmanship and camaraderie witnessed athletic events such as shotput, discuss throw and long jump which are rarely covered by colleges in sports fests. The major highlight of the Sportikon was the increase in the participation of women in sports. On an average there were 7-8 women’s teams from several colleges and universities participating in the event, setting a high bar for the future fests to come. The event showcased the talent and hard work of the university’s students and provided a platform for them to compete and excel in sports.

The event, beyond being a platform for exhibiting the participants’ sporting talents, also provided an avenue for networking and building bonds with students from other universities. The DJ nights by DJ Sumit Sethi and DJ Knight further elevated the overall experience, forging connections among the students over music and dance and creating an unforgettable atmosphere.

“Sports in general and competitive sports in particular, are crucial for all-round development of students”, said Vineet Jain, Chancellor of Bennett University, and MD Times Group. He added that “sports events like this are necessary to showcase the wealth of our university-level sporting talent so that they have yet another future path to progress on”. Congratulating all winners, Mr. Jain said it was an unparalleled feeling to see “young sporting talent from Bennett and other universities and colleges under the same roof at the same time and reflects our commitment towards nurturing our next generation champions”.

The sports committee at BU carried out the event effortlessly, giving priority towards organizing requirements such as refreshments after the matches, room to take rest in between matches and student escorts to help the participants around the clock which made a mark in the minds of the participants regarding the warm hospitality and the excellent facilities provided during the fest.

The fest took Bennett University a step closer to its objective of providing a conducive environment and a platform for budding sportspersons from different universities. The event’s triumphant success bears testament to Bennett University’s unwavering commitment to providing a comprehensive educational experience to its students.

SPORTIKON WINNER

Note: In individual athletic events, pool, snooker, tennis and table tennis maximum number of three participants participated and thus different participants from the same university secured multiple positions in certain events.

In order to praise the sportsperson who outshone the others, prizes under the heads of MVP (most valuable player) and Emerging Player were distributed. In Badminton (Boys) category MVP was bagged by Rishab (UPES) and Emerging Player by Tanish Garg (Shiv Nadar University) while in girls’ category Best Player was awarded to Unnati (Shiv Nadar University) and Emerging Player to Navya (Bennett University). In Basketball (Boys) category, Chitvin (Jamia Milia Islamia) was declared Most Valuable Player followed by Joseph (Bennett University) as the Emerging Player. In Kabaddi Shivam Bidhuri (Noida College of Physical Education) emerged as the Most Valuable Player followed by Pankaj (Bennett University) as the Emerging Player. In Football Manas (Sri Venkateswara College) bagged the title for Most Valuable Player, Parv (Bennett University) for Emerging Player and Rakshak Raina (Bennett University) as the Best Goalkeeper.