Sahityika AdminMy Journey to Basketball
Vidushi Garg, 2023 Civil Engineering
The above photo is dated after our first win at IIT BHU
(L à R) Jyoti Jaiswal, Shalvi Goyal, Shalini Ray, Swati Priya, Vidushi Garg, Ansuiya Thapa, Kavita Jain, Vaishnavi Malviya, Ishita Choudhary, Shruti Sharma
Today my love is for Basketball. But to know how I started playing basketball, first let me share my trajectory in sports.
I was not a basketball player. I was a swimmer. I started swimming in 2005 when my age was only 4 years, and all the way till I became 13 in the year 2014. During my journey of swimming for 10 years, I participated in many interschool tournaments and that also won many medals. Any medal is prestigious, and that drives to move on.
Unfortunately, at the age of 13 I was detected sinus and thus it became difficult for me to continue with swimming. As I gradually advanced in classes, academic pressure also increased. However, at that point of time I was offered a position in the basketball team of my school Delhi Public School, Indore by my school’s basketball coach just because I was tall enough compared to other students of my age. I already had the desire for sports, and so then I found it to be a good option to switch to another. I believe my height grew because of swimming and that’s what helped me to begin a new journey in basketball.
To begin with, my coach asked me to play as a rebounder in U-14. In that very first year of my Basketball, I was able to represent my city Indore in the U-14 School Games Federation of India States tournament held in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. The same year our school team played U-19 Interschool Nationals held in Tyagaraj Stadium, New Delhi conducted by the Basketball Federation of India, the most recognised body for Basketball in India. At that time, I was in the substitutes of the team. However, the tournament gave me the great exposure even though I played for only few minutes in the whole tournament. Although we couldn’t qualify for the finals, we got to see and learn from many great players coming from all over India. It was a very special experience indeed.
I continued to play basketball till completion of my class 10th in the year 2017 and by that time I was playing as a feeder and point guard and had finally made my place in U-19 playing 5 of our DPS school team. In 2016 we represented out school in Inter DPS Zonal Tournament at DPS, Jodhpur and secured Second Position which made us qualify for the Inter DPS Nationals Tournament, held at DPS Vasant Kunj, New Delhi. At that level we learn even if we don’t win and many such exposures made me the player that I am today.
I took a pause in classes 11th and 12th as I had to prepare for JEE. Soon after all the exams were over and in 2019, it was time to decide the college to choose, I saw a video of the IIEST campus released that year and the first thing which I was attracted to was the magnificent basketball court and also the swimming pool. I immediately decided that IIEST would be the destination for my engineering studies, and of course, that was the best institute I could get on the basis of my JEE rank.
So, it was a win-win both academically and in sports as well.
When I came to college, I saw that although there is a court, there is no team to play with. Basketball was a sport which only boys used to play in our college, there were hardly 2-3 girls on the court.
In 2019, being my first year, I was expected to be intimidated by the seniors, but the court was a safe space where there were people playing due to their love for the sport. I started playing along with the boys. At the same time a few motivated girls from my batch also joined me at the court. With my prior experience of the game, I taught them and some senior girls as well the basics of Basketball and in the process, we conducted the first-ever inter-hostel girls basketball tournament in the history of IIEST.
Soon as we were settling, pandemic hit the world, and our country was not an exception, we had to return back to homes. First year over, Second year over. We came back at the end of our third year (March 2022) to give exams and I was made captain of the Girls’ Basketball team for the next session.
During my captainship (Academic Year 2022-23), my motive was to grow girls’ representation in sports,
Being the seniors, we not only had to find out the fresh talent but also develop talent, so we conducted basketball inductions for all the junior batches, identified a few and the people interested to learn as well. I was lucky enough to find a few girls with prior experience in the game and also many who wanted to learn. It was the enthusiasm of the girls that gave me the motivation to teach them. So, I started teaching and practicing along with the girls for 2 hours daily and thus formed a team of 10 girls dedicatedly playing on the court. And then when we were confident that now we can represent our college on various levels, I gave my team’s name to represent our college at Spardha inter college competition in IIT BHU.
It was our first exposure at an intercollege level as a team and we learned a lot and it was also the first time that IIEST girls were representing the institute in a sports tournament. We won our first match but unfortunately, we couldn’t qualify for the finals. The tournament was a great learning experience for the girls and me as their captain as well.
Returning to the college with whatever experience we gained from SPARDHA, a week later we conducted a friendly match against IISER Kolkata in our campus and we won. We gave tough competition to the opponents and won the match by a margin of 16-13..
Photo: After our win against IISER Kolkata. (LR) R Vedashree, Ishita Choudhary, Swati Priya, Jyoti Jaiswal, Ansuiya Thapa, Vidushi Garg, Kavita Jain, Shalini Ray, Vaisnavi Malviya
Then, during our final semester (Jan -May 2023) we decided to participate in the invitational intercollege tournament by Indian Maritime University, Kolkata in February 2023. By this time, we had added a few girls from the first year in our team as well and Khushi Parihar among them displayed an exceptional skill in the game.
Shalini Ray and Khushi Parihar displayed their superb coordination skills. Ishita Choudhary and Falguni Joshi taking charge of our citadel, helped our team defended many baskets with their extra ordinary defense. The finals against Amity Institute went into extra time and our luck changed in the 2 extra minutes. Yet our team’s effort resulted in securing the 1st Runner up with a final score of 16-18. At the end of the tournament, I was awarded the Most Valuable Player in the tournament. This was my first individual award in my whole basketball trajectory and it was only possible because of my team mates and their continuous support. That moment would be in my memory for the rest of my life.
So, we had a morale booster, and the self confidence that we can win in our home ground, and also outside the campus. With that energy, and a mindset to challenge, in March 2023, we participated in Parakram organised by ISM Dhanbad. It is the biggest inter college tournament in East India with teams from different sports like football, cricket, table tennis, badminton, volleyball, athletics representing their institutes. Due to change in weather and travelling most of us got sick and hence it affected our performance. Although we could not make much impact though we reached the semi-final stage and finished the tournament in 4th position. It was my last intercollege tournament at IIEST.
Photo: After securing the Runners’ Up at IMU, Kolkata (LR) Ishita Choudhary, Kavita Jain, Ritika Yadav, Khushi Parihar, Vidushi Garg, Shalini Ray, R Vedashree, Falguni Joshi.
Photo: After our last match at ISM Dhanbad. (Top L R) Swati Priya, Shalini Ray, Vidushi Garg, Falguni Joshi, Vaishnavi Malviya
(Bottom L R) Deeksha Yadav, Jyoti Jaiswal, Kavita Jain, R Vedashree
Our basketball team also regularly organized various tournaments and events within college to grow interest for the sport among the other students. One of the most loved tournaments among IIESTians is the 3V3 IIEST Basketball League (IBL) which is played in a similar format like IPL. We decide captains and conduct auctions to form mix team of boys and girls. This not only helps in overall game improvement but also develops leadership qualities among players.
I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
– Michael (Jeffrey) Jordan
Every little girl’s dream is to play in the WNBA. It’s not just little boys wanting to play basketball. It’s little girls wanting to make it to that level.
– Kevin Durant.
In April 2023, as a part of our cultural fest REBECA, we also hosted an event called NBA On Campus along with the NBA X MTV India team to promote basketball talent. Many drills were demonstrated by India Player Sourav Singha and we got a chance to win NBA India merchandises by excelling those drills. The event was successful by huge participation of students from our institute.
Photo: IIEST Basketball Team along with India player Sourav Singha and MTV team after the event conducted by NBA X MTV during REBECA at our Basketball Court, IIEST campus.
If I make it short, I would say that now we have the satisfaction in improving women’s representation in Sports at IIEST as well as increasing students’ participation in basketball. It would not have been possible if my teammates were not as enthusiastic and supporting as they are. Together we not only made our team’s place in our institute but also brought laurels to IIEST.
In a campus with one of the best sports facilities of the country, it is pity that anytime IIEST girls count would be around 400-500, but that 95% of girls are not interested in sports. Not that Basketball, we cannot form any team in football, cricket, or hockey out of those 400-500 girls. I think this is due to the absence of coaches & the interest of sports department officials of our institute. A lot of times we self-funded or received only partial funding to participate in these tournaments and this is the case for all the sports in our institute. Also, to mention that we have a swimming pool which is closed for last 4 years. But we have the budget, and an official sports body to promote sports, assuming they consider the girl students also.
Coming back, other than this, I also play volleyball, table tennis and badminton for fun, but my love for basketball, and obviously the days at IIEST would remain eternal. My sincere gratitude to all those friends and personalities who helped me in my sporting days.
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From the desk of Anjana Ganguly Roy
1977 Electronics & Tele-Communication Engineering, Vidushi,
Vidushi,
I was going through your amazing journey from Swimming to Basketball. Starting at an early age and continuing with your sports passion along with your studies is not easy. But you achieved it and with flying colours.
I know how difficult it is to persuade your Sports dream in IIEST ( BE College at my time, 1972-77 ). I used to be a State level Khokho player and selected to play National level when I was in class XI but parents didn’t allow me to go to National coaching camp as it was my school leaving year. I am sure they were right. At that time when I joined BE College, I was a district level athlete. Like you, I was also excited seeing the big big grounds when I came for the personal interview after clearing Joint Entrance. Seeing the Athletic club, near Ladies Hostel was encouraging.
But it was so disappointing after joining college, that only 14 ladies all together in hostel, none of them had iota of interest in sports, neither did college support any kind sports activity for female students.
After 50 years, now you at least could rope in your fellow female students for the game. I didn’t even have scope to bring in my hostel mates .. It was tough for me then to participate in Calcutta University Sports meet without much practice and all by myself.
Those stories .. some other time ..
Congratulations and lot of Good Wishes for your Sports career along with your professional career . Love
************
From the desk of Bandana Mitra 1986 Metallurgy
I came across this write up by Vidushi Garg, Civil 2023, and was spell bound. The article speaks about her love and passion for basketball, her grit, determination and struggle to build a woman Basketball team single-handedly in IIEST where women sports is traditionally non-existent. She, within her limited capacity and iron clad willpower, build the team, coached them, motivated them, and then participated in several National tournaments and brought laurels for the institution.
It is needless to say that the journey was not easy. There was no infrastructure for girl students for indulging in sports on day to day basis in the campus, none of the girls was interested to play outdoors games, there was no women sports officer in our Athletic club, no coaching, hardly any funds, and on top of it no encouragement from the authorities. To make it worst the campus was shut down due to deadly pandemic, and there was a long suspension of her entire activities. However, she didn’t bow down to all these adversities.
Vidushi, in her first year, driven by her passion, started playing with the boys as no girl was available to play with. Knowing the initial difficulties faced by the freshers, known as “introduction session”, when the freshers were “supposed to get intimidated by the seniors ” one can understand the ordeal the girl had gone through to be present in the same field with the boys and later on to persuade other girls to join her to make an official women college team. And This is not the end of the story’. These girls fought out the apathy, indifference and lack of infrastructure to strengthen the team, brought forth a team spirit, instill the courage to complete with others outside the campus – first time in the history of IIEST. They even did the partial self-funding to participate in the national tournaments, coached themselves on their own helping one another and made a mark among the other teams.
Vidushi is justified in expressing her disappointment in state of affairs concerning sports and sports related issues of the campus. The article reminded me that cult line – “fight Koni fight.”
While wishing her very best in future years, I pray for her legacy to live long.
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