University students pick both sports and studies

After years of waking up at 5.30 am for hockey practice, getting out of bed early to study for exams is not a problem for Nakita Fernandes (17), a media student at Bandra’s MMK College and an international-level hockey player. Apeksha Vora reports.

After years of waking up at 5.30 am for hockey practice, getting out of bed early to study for exams is not a problem for Nakita Fernandes (17), a media student at Bandra’s MMK College and an international-level hockey player.

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Given the pressure of academics, students often have to give up sports to keep up their marks.

But there are those such as Fernandes, who refused to give up their passion. “Archery improves my concentration, patience and judgment. Two hours of archery is the best stress buster for me,” said Archit Joshi (19), a student of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Technology, Versova.

For Natasha D’Mello (20), a final-year Bachelor of Management Studies student at St Andrews College, Bandra, hockey tournaments across the country not only gave her the opportunity to visit new places but also taught her to adapt to changes and boosted her confidence.

“When I joined college, I only played hockey. But now I play football and volleyball too. When you’ve played one sport, you have the discipline to learn all others,” said D’Mello.

Along with individual skills, team sports also help instill team spirit. “I feel good playing football because everyone on the team works towards the same goal,” said Reuel Monteiro (18), a St Andrews student.

For those passionate about sports, excellence is only a by-product. “A friend started playing football only in Class 9. He picked it up quickly and went on to play for the state in Class 10,” said Monteiro.

“The sports culture needs an overhaul. Elite schools do not encourage sports over academics and only treat it as a compulsory extra-curricular activity. We have good players till the age of 16 after which they leave competitive sports because of the pressure of academics,” said Kedar Tambe, sports director of Priyadarshani Park at Napeansea Road.

“Parents need to show interest and support their children’s sports interests; only then will the government give them their due,” said Aniket Satam (20), who represents K.V. Pendarkar College, Dombivli, in fencing.