At our institute, students who compete in sports at the APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University level do not simply show us athletic excellence, but also an astonishing level of determination that they hold heavy above their heads. The hard work these students have put in to balance their life on the sports ground and their regular classwork truly brings the mindset of those watching them in action and hearing their stories to a new high.

Through the interviews we have conducted, as we sat down and talked to these high-performing athletes, we have learnt so much about their dead-set routines and the academic benefits that they have earned from their sweaty days of practice.

Meet Devika, a 2nd year Kho-Kho player, and Joshua, a 3rd year Basketball player, each representing KTU this year. Devika made her debut as a national team member, representing Uttar Pradesh back in 2016-17, 2017-18, and 2018-19. When asked about their teachers, Devika and Joshua expressed appreciation for their encouragement.

Devika’s way of navigating academic-sport balance was to choose her academic path, a subject she liked and which motivated her. From early morning practices to late-night ones, and also trying to maintain your health, the athletes need to be on top of it all. “During exams I’m very calm. I always just sleep then,” Devika explains. “But before finals, I’m very anxious and people can see it on my face.” But this seemingly never-ending cycle of training proves itself to be worth it in the end.

“I just pray and hope for the best,” Joshua said when asked about how he deals with burnout. “Just be persistent because you’re going to lose more than you’re going to win anyway. So just keep trying and God will work things out.” For Devika, her aim serves as her motivation, and everything she does focuses back to that aim.

Coach Sidharth helped provide this framework for our kho-kho team. He is a former student and team member of the RSET kho-kho team. As a player, he strived to improve his own play during the match, whereas as a coach he now needs to prioritize the collective performance of the team. Sir prompted his shift from cheerful play to serious matches. When asked about qualities he looks for when selecting players, he states that “I prioritizes their fighting spirit along with their talents.”

Siddharth wraps up the interview by leaving us with the message that we need to strive to try everything and keep the ideology of “failing better” rather than fearing failure.

The spotlight now shifts to the kho-kho team captain, Adith. No team is complete without a rock-solid captain to lead the members. Adith is an IT student in his 8th semester and the team captain for the RSET kho-kho team.

The interview begins with an explanation from Adith on what exactly a KTU athlete is. D zone is a district-level competition; the winners from D zone move on to represent the district in the inter-zone competition. Inter-zone champions later represent KTU in the national-level competition. KTU athletes are given various incentives, including an increase of 3% marks for each subject in a sem. This incentive is kept in place to account for classes that may be missed by a participating athlete due to injury or camps and such.

Regarding advice to future players, firstly he states that there is no need for there to be prior experience in that particular sport. Even in the current D zone kho-kho girls team, four out of the five players were inexperienced in the sport prior to joining the team.

Finally, Adith prepares to hand down his torch as captain and gives advice to the next captain, letting them know to motivate the 11 members and to maintain good teamwork amongst the players, and be sure to always play with love for the sport.

Alan Sam, a former KTU football player, reflects on the stress that comes from conflicting match schedules and exams. He explains that he, along with many other KTU athletes, often has to take re-tests instead of the standard exams as there’s no other way to balance both commitments simultaneously.

He highlights a key distinction between competing at the college level and at KTU-level events. While college competitions are typically against different classes within the same institution, KTU players face colleges recognized primarily for their sporting excellence. This heightened level of competition makes victories significantly more challenging but also far more rewarding.

For student athletes like Gauri, a fourth year badminton player at RSET, and Sanjay, their journey involves balancing academics with competitive sports. When asked what it means to be a KTU player, both players say the experience goes beyond representing one’s own college.

When comparing exam stress with match pressure, Gauri says pressure during matches can be greater. Competitive games bring the responsibility of proving that the effort spent on practice is worthwhile, especially when facing strong teams. Handling pressure becomes easier with time, and strong team support keeps players motivated during demanding training and competitions.

Badminton has also influenced her academic life. The sport has taught her patience, discipline, and the ability to stay calm under pressure, qualities that help her stay focused in studies.

There have been times when Gauri had to write exams soon after returning from tournaments. In such situations, she made an effort to catch up on academics and reassure teachers that she would perform well in the next internal assessments.

One memorable moment came during Rajagiri’s sports event, Ranabhoomi. Gauri recalls being chosen as a torch bearer, while players like Sanjay see the event as a symbol of the dedication athletes put into their sport. “The torch represented all the effort I had put in over the years and the fact that I did not give up,” she says.

When it comes to the pillars that carve the path toward medals and victories, one stands out above the rest: Jinsha mam. Often praised by KTU players across all sports, her dedication isn’t an exaggeration. Her unwavering support and prioritization of players over herself has earned her a near-celebrity status among the athletes. Yet, even with someone as committed and hands-on as Jinsha mam, the journey wasn’t always smooth. Balancing rigorous practice schedules with non-negotiables like academics, assignments, and projects, all while keeping the players’ fire alive, was no small feat.

The essence of her impact is perhaps best captured in moments like this: when a player didn’t have spikes, the rest of the team worked tirelessly to ensure she could compete. It’s this coordinated support and shared commitment that makes her role so rewarding. A mentor like Jinsha mam is precisely what sets the RSET team apart. Describing the team as easy-going yet determined, never allowing setbacks to hinder the pursuit of the next set of medals.

Lastly, we spoke with Anamika and Alna from the kho-kho team. Anamika has been part of the team since her 1st year, and Alna since her 2nd year. When asked about what it meant being a KTU player, this is what Anamika had to say: “Being a KTU player, it was a golden chance for me to do something I really loved. And to get that chance in my first year as well was great.”

This year, the women’s team made history by setting a new record at APJ KTU Intercollege athletics meet. “It was such an amazing moment. We only went there with the expectation to win somehow, but the possibility of setting a new record never even occurred to us.”

For Anamika and Alna, this semester was comparatively harder for them to manage along with kho-kho and athletics. “We barely had time to sit in class, and we lost a lot of hours of attendance as well.” Our athletes also mentioned the importance of breaks during all this grind. “We might take leaves sometimes, just to take care of ourselves,” they said, but also pointed out that it is important to attend classes regularly as well. For our aspiring student athletes, this is what Anamika and Alna had to say: “Just try your best to manage time. Because it does get tight with practice and college work.”

All in all, our student athletes carry with them our name, representing everything we stand for — and it is only right that we take a moment to appreciate and respect their efforts that made them the person they are today.