Sports at IITM generates a lot of enthusiasm - not only from within the campus, but from other colleges in the city and the country as well. The academic calendar is crowded with sporting events - be it the intra-hostel and inter-hostel events, or the inter-collegiate and inter-IIT tournaments. Excellent facilities are available including a Swimming pool of Olympic standards, a well-equipped gymnasium, the impressive IIT-Chemplast cricket ground, a vast stadium and a hi-tech wood-floored multipurpose indoor stadium in the Students' Activities' Center. All this, combined with the untiring commitment and enthusiasm of the student community, with encouragement and guidance from the faculty has created tremendous opportunities for students to hone their talents. It is no wonder then that tournaments in IITM have continued to draw teams and colleges from all over the country.
Throughout the year, the sports secretaries of the 12 hostels organize the intra-hostel events - a plethora of indoor and outdoor events including cricket, badminton, volleyball, throwball, carrom, chess etc. The best teams from each hostel battle it out in the inter-hostel events and vie for the Schroeter Cup - the cup awarded to the hostel securing maximum points in all inter-hostel events held during the academic year. 6-a-side hockey, 9-a-side cricket, 3-a-side basketball, 3-a-side volleyball and 6-a-side football are but a few events in the inter-hostel competitions. Quite a few of these outdoor games are held under floodlights at Sangam, the skating rink of IITM. The passion and zest displayed during these matches has to be seen to be believed. Gymkhana Day marks the end of the all sports activities for the academic year. Ganga hostel was awarded the Schroeter championship for the academic year 2007-08.
For information on sports and related activities, visit the Sports Portal at http://sports.iitm.ac.in
SportsFest
The Inter-collegiate sports tournament, SportsFest, is the first official tournament organized by IIT Madras during a calendar year. Its an event thats on every sports calendar. The name itself draws the best teams from the college circuit. Its a confluence for all sports persons in Chennai. For a few days, the sprawling campus and excellent facilities see hot action and happening competition as the city's best battle it out for supremacy. With temperatures running high, literally, it is one of those must-see displays of grit and sportsmanship.
Cheered on by an impassioned home crowd that is supportive of such a feast for the sports gourmet's eyes, SportsFest showcases college talent on a rare skill. The atmosphere is electric. The games include Badminton, Table Tennis, Basketball, Volleyball, Hockey, and Football for men and Badminton, Table Tennis and Basketball for women. The matches are played in good spirit, and any hostility dissolves away as soon as the final whistle is blown. The outing also helps the players get their touch back for the Inter IIT meet held in December. A good start here augers well for the tourneys ahead.
Inter IIT Sports Meet
Held annually by rotation at the five IITs at Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Kharagpur and Kanpur, these inter-IIT meets aim at promoting the interaction between students of the various IITs and encouraging sportsmanship. The meet is held in December after the end of the odd semester. A General Championship is awarded to the team with the best performance in the Inter-IIT Sports meet and the Inter-IIT Aquatics meet (held in October).
The first Inter-IIT meet was conducted at Bombay in 1961. The following year, the meet was cancelled owing to Chinese aggression. The next meet was in Kharagpur in 1963, followed by the third meet in 1964 at IIT Madras. From 1970 to 1980, for eleven consecutive years, IIT Madras won the General Championship (a special replica of the GC was presented to the Institute for this unique achievement). Over the years, several changes have been made - new events have been introduced, events like Gymnastics and Kabaddi have been dropped, the duration of the meet has been reduced from six days to five - but the meet has grown from strength to strength. IITians eagerly await the Inter-IIT Sports meet which brings to light the latent talent of the students. The fact that it has always been the last event of the tournament which has decided the championship, is proof enough for the intensity of competition.
Gerhard Fischer & Kokila Rajaiah Tournament (GF & KR)
This national tournament was initially The Gerhard Fischer tournament in the 70's.It succeeded the same as the GF & KR tournament in 1980.It is one of the biggest tournaments held in Chennai and has participation from all over the country. Players who have been felicitated at this prestigious tournament have gone on to represent the country at the highest level.
The GF tournament is for the trophy which was donated by Dr. Gerhard Fischer, a former consulate of Germany while the KR trophy was donated by Kokila Rajaiah and alumnus of the institute.
Other Events
IITians have displayed keen enthusiasm in events conducted outside the Institute. The Annual Bridge Tournament, conducted by the Tamil Nadu Bridge Association, gives bridge-lovers an opportunity to match their wits against some of the best teams - both amateur and professional. With a lot of prize money at stake, the tournament has continued to receive overwhelming responses from teams in and around the city. Students of the Institute have also taken part in the Freedom run organized indubitably in the month of August and other tournaments like the Betram tournament, Loyola, BUC memorial, YMCA and the MCC tournament. A staff sports meet is conducted annually for sporting the talented staff and providing some amusement and relief from their grueling work schedule. Among other tournaments conducted for the students are an annual chess tournament and an open cycle race which witnesses good competition between IITians and other campus-ites.