Thanks for making it to Part 2.
Day two was all about upping the ante
and elevating the performance to the next level. And yes, the cheering
and sledging were to intensify too.
First in action was our chess team –
10.45 AM, semifinal against XLRI. Well, it was scheduled to start at
10.30 AM, but then, when did NM boys reach on time early morning? On a
Sunday?
“NM habits die hard!”
A 15-minute delay was okay, and the
organizers were kind enough, even though they were visibly frustrated a
little bit. We defeated XLRI 3-1 to reach the final. This game was more
difficult than the first. XL played well and initially threatened to
draw level. By one fortune swing, we were through. Clearly, we were
happy to beat XL once at least. So much for history! FMS Delhi won the
other semifinal to set up a final showdown against us. By the way, when
this semifinal was going on, outdoor games also started around 11 AM. Intensity was at its peak on day 2.
It’s again my duty to mention the best
playing contingents. XLRI, XIMB and IIM-C fielded good teams in every
event, including the cultural and variety events. It was evident that
these institutions took this fest quite seriously. SIBM Pune also had a
contingent around 60, thanks to the huge support from management. Their
football team alone needs a standing ovation, for they made us happy by
demolishing IIM Ranchi 4-0, yes, I mentioned it earlier too so what!
Post lunch, our first final happened at
the quiet Learning Centre building. Chess team assembled to watch the
third place match between XLRI and IIT Kharagpur. The match was drawn
and both finished joint third. Due to time constraint, our final match
was played at 30 minutes each time control instead of the original
45-minutes each control. We had to agree to it since we needed some
buffer time to play a tie-breaker, in case of a drawn 2-2 result.
There was no tie-breaker though. We won
the title after a gripping 2.5-1.5 victory against FMS. The match turned
upside down twice before we got a favourable result. The winning margin
this time was narrow but that was all that was required. We had won our
maiden title this festival. It was a moment to rejoice, truly! I knew
for sure, we were tested to the maximum in the final; the match could
have easily ended 2-2 or even 1-3 in favour of FMS. I was still
shivering when I left the playing hall. It was intense!
Later that evening, our Throwball
women’s team reached finals with an above par performance. It was always
going to be tough. XIM B was a formidable opponent in the finals. All
our boys gathered in the throwball court (well, the volleyball court) to
cheer the girls. We split into two – one on our playing side to
motivate and the other on XIM-B side to sledge, make fun and hope for
the best. The usually quiet chess team also joined the cheering club.
This is what ecstasy does to you. The glorious moments… The evening
sunset, the slight drizzle and floodlights set up a perfect final. Well,
if you weren’t there, you did miss some action!
XIM-B drew first blood, winning the
first set in the three-setter. We hit back with the second. This was the
last sporting event of this historic festival. By this time, all other
events were done and dusted. Expectations were at an all-time high. The
noise made by us and the XIM-B crowd filled the vacant spaces through
the field. We made it a point to make a lot of noise with empty water
bottles and dance to every point scored by our girls’ team. The players
however, were much focussed. It was a great match, with XIM B winning
the third and final set in convincing fashion. Got to say, our team
played really well; in sports, the better team mostly wins. After the
match however, there was no harsh feelings between the crowds. We
fraternised with each other and cashed in on the opportunity to make new
friends. We even danced together for a few minutes. After all, decent
sledging is part and parcel of any outdoor sport. We didn’t match XL or
IIM-C on that front, they were legen… Wait for it… Dary!
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| “Believe in happy endings!” – These NM girls do so! |
That meant we had at least one team reaching finals in an outdoor game. As Ashwin Doke put it, “One final on the field” .
A second place finish was reason enough to smile. With that, our
campaign in XLRI ended. There was a formal closing ceremony, sans IIM
Calcutta, for known reasons. What on earth is wrong between these two
B-schools? Who cares! “Thanks for the entertainment” 
And yes, the victorious teams got to pose for the official photographs on stage.
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| Our Chess Team, receiving the winners’ trophy (L-R Nikhil, Natarajan, Significant one for the event, Arun, Ishan) |
It should be mentioned here that Nikhil and Ishan played other sports too, hard workers! Juniors, where are you?
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| Our Throwball team, receiving the runner-up trophy (L-R Sujatha, Priyanka, Sindhu, Anisha, I don’t know his name, Pallavi, Kirti, Shweta) |
Here again, our girls played not just
throwball. All of them were involved in multiple sports, which gives us
something to ponder over, before we attend the next fest. If there is no
contingent limit, there should be more participation, from first years
especially.
Before wrapping up, we had some photo
‘sessions’ with our trophies, for facebook and beyond. It’s XL man, come
on; not a weekend getaway!
We returned to our hostel rooms with
pleasant memories and a lighter heart. The return train was at 11.45 PM
that night. Again, there was a van. The rest is history.
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| The ‘’bIg’ photo of the entire contingent at Tatanagar station, before heading back |
Final Results
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| Image Courtesy: Student Council |
With a heavy heart and memories for a lifetime… the NM contingent marched…
“Towards Mumbai, noise and traffic”
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