Highlights of the 73rd Annual Sports Meet

A celebration is not done in a day’s thought and a night’s effort. Maybe that’s why it took almost every day of steady grind since the beginning of this year by the sportsmen and sportswomen of GCT just so they could raise their chins up and keep their heads high on the long-hoped-for ‘THE ANNUAL SPORTS DAY - 2026.’

The physical director’s cabin on the fine morning of 5th March was full of chaos and anxiety. Going over and over the agendas, proofreading MC scripts, making last-minute changes—the people in the scene had only one thought in their head: ‘Can they pull this off?’

As the guests of honor, Er. Sai Deepa Devesan and Dr. Lakshmi Prabha reached the venue, it was time to blow the whistle and get the event started. Following tradition, the ceremony commenced officially with the TAMIZHTHAI VALTHU. The flag was hoisted, and the national anthem was sung. And no, no, that's not it; the centerpiece of the morning—the parade and the Olympic torch—were yet to be flaunted. The parade was trotted out meticulously by the span of students from NCC, Athletics, Badminton, Ball Badminton, Basketball, Chess, Cricket, Football, Handball, Hockey, Kabaddi, Kho Kho, Martial arts, Powerlifting, Silambam, Table tennis, Throwball, and Volleyball. Wow, that was a long list, I must say. Next, the showstopper—the Olympic torch was lit and carried with all its glory vested on the shoulders of those who bore it. Consequently, the Olympic oath was taken, and hence the gathering was dispersed.

For people who thought this was the end—na na nahh, the ceremony is just getting underway. All the faculties, teaching or non-teaching—it didn't matter who—all that mattered was that inner child wanting to play again. And I must say they had a great time participating in the rounds, cheering to support others, and guiding others if they were not getting it right. And the MC people had the most fun doing running commentary for the contests. Another thing to add on was the lemonade—the best I had.

The games went well; the roster of winners and runners-up was recorded; everyone had the best times. Now it was time for everyone to gear up for the long-awaited valedictory function that afternoon. This time the stage was graced by the enlightening presence of the principal, Dr. K. Manonmani; Prof. S. Bradeesh Moorthy; Dr. M. Isaac Solomon Jebamani; Dr. S. Sakthivel; Dr. Ramamoorthy; Dr. Lakshmi Prabha; and Er. Sai Deepa Devesan. As the curtains slid up and everyone was on the edge of their seats anticipating the honoring ceremony, the graceful and calming welcome performance brought down the anxiety of the spectators. The esteemed guests of honor on the dais edified the students on how physical wellness is something none should put off for any reason. That actually gave me the motivation to start my workout routine that I had pushed back for a long time for obvious reasons. The annual report of GCT sports was declaimed by the physical director, Prof. S. Bradeesh Moorthy, who was gleeful and prideful all at once. To be honest, the report was very impressive, and it portrayed the hard work that the students had put in throughout the year really well.

Next up was the long-awaited prize distribution. It felt nostalgic to watch lecturers being excited about the results and taking photographs with a wide smile on their face and pride in their eyes. After the honoring ceremony of the faculties and students ended, it was about time to honor the overall champions of the intramurals. This year the passing out final year students bagged the overall champions trophy, while the third year students grabbed the runner-up spot.

The speeches are done; the giveaways are done. Then what's more? Well, well, the cultural part was yet to be set. It was nothing short of a festival at that point. Not a single person in the venue was seated, everyone was on the floor dancing and just living the moment. As a spectator from the MC desk, it had me on tippy-toes to just vanish for a minute or two and have the dance of my life. I might or might not have done just that, though.

Now comes the bittersweet closing of the event marked by the vote of thanks delivered by the overall general captain Mahesh SelvaKannan on a very emotional note. At the end, the former overall general captain Vasanth Kumar took over the event with his engaging, funny banter. Everyone at the main auditorium danced together one last time as the sports team of GCT that evening.

Although disparate purposes and ideologies, love for one brought everyone together—SPORTS!!!

Credits:

Patron: Dr. K. Manonmani, Principal of GCT

Staff In-charge: Dr. M. Kalpana

Editor in Chief: Mathimalar V (IT 23-27)

Article prepared by: Sujithasri K (Civil 24-28)