India’s largest intercollegiate sports and entertainment festival, Spree, set to take place between 23rd and 25th March 2018, has been a hit ever since its inception 12 years ago, with each year only raising the bar of quality higher. This year the number of participants is expected to cross 2500, thus providing a stiff competitive quality to each of the sporting events – football, basketball, cricket, volleyball, badminton, tennis, squash, table tennis, carrom, chess, powerlifting and kabaddi. Colleges from Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Indore and so on send their most athletic students to compete for the laurels and the heavy monetary incentives of Spree.
In keeping with its pledge to stand apart from all other sport gatherings, Spree has kept synchronism with the evolving nature of sports by including off beat events like Ultimate Frisbee, Kho Kho, Kabaddi, Tug of War, Pool, Gully Cricket and Futsal. Further, the festival also has a wide range of social initiatives under its letterhead, like Udaan, the Spree Marathon and the ‘Act to Inspire’ campaign. Udaan, organized by Spree in collusion with NGO Nirmaan on the 25th of February, was for the benefit of the specially abled children. Various sporting events, workshops and talks by celebrities convert the 3 days of Spree as a source of happiness for the less fortunate. The Spree Marathon of 18th March, in association with Diageo, will be conducted in Panjim and is a 10km run in support of the “Don’t Drink and Drive” campaign. The “Act to Inspire” campaign, initiated in the year 2013, has Spree working with CRY for organizing blood donation camps and Clean-Up drives, in cities where pre-Spree elimination are conducted.
Spree also provides a stage for sportsmen to deliver motivational speeches and share their journey in sports. This year’s guests, award-winning cricket umpire Simon Taufel and Olympic gold-medallistAbhinavBindra, add to a rich legacy of sports stars at Spree. Several interesting workshops related to sports are also conducted, that provide a crash course in a component of a sport, say dribbling in football. Finally, Indian EDM artist and crowd favouriteNucleya will handle the console on the second night.
Thus Spree, BITS Pilani Goa comes across as a complete package: a reputed festival with high standards for its sporting events, but an equal fulfilment of its responsibility towards society. With great entertainment throughout the fest coupled with all the sporting brilliance on offer, there shall be no dull moments in Spree 2018. Glory awaits!
