With the spirit of competition and sportsmanship in the air, the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar (IITGN) is all set to host Inter IIT Sports Meets 2023 from December 14, 2023. The 56th Inter IIT Sports Meet for students, jointly hosted by IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Bombay, will be organised at IITGN from December 14 to 22, 2023, and the 28th Inter IIT Staff Meet, entirely hosted by IITGN, will be held from December 24 to 29, 2023.

It is for the first time that any second-generation IIT has become the primary host of the massive Inter IIT Sports Meets, a highly-coveted annual sports tournament between sporting talents of all IITs. Collectively, more than 3000 students and staff members from all 23 IITs across the country are going to showcase their athletic prowess in a plethora of sports events to be held at the state-of-the-art Sports Complex at IITGN over the next fortnight.

Around 1528 students, including 75 students from IITGN, are going to compete in six genres of sporting events, i.e. Athletics (such as Running, Hammer Throw, Javelin Throw, Shot Put, Long Jump, etc.), Football, Cricket, Squash, Chess, and Tennis, during the 56th Inter IIT Sports Meet for students at IITGN. In the second leg of the event, around 1500 staff members, including 65 staff members from IITGN, will face each other in nine types of sporting events, i.e. Athletics (such as Running, Discus Throw, Javelin Throw, Long Jump, Shot Put, Triple Jump, etc.), Football, Cricket, Squash, Basketball, Tennis, Volleyball, Badminton, and Table Tennis, during the 28th Inter IIT Staff Meet at the Institute. The sports extravaganza will witness a Javelin Throw event for women for the first time during athletic events.

The state-of-the-art Sports Complex at IITGN is equipped with multiple world-class facilities for various indoor and outdoor sports/activities, including Athletic Track, Badminton Courts, Squash Courts, Table Tennis Court, Volleyball Court, Basketball Court, Climbing Wall, Football Ground, Cricket Ground, an Olympic Size Swimming Pool, Yoga Hall, Gym, and so on. Adding to this top-notch sports infrastructure at the Institute, a brand new Lawn Tennis Court has also been installed for the first time for Inter IIT Sports Meets 2023.

Giving a message to all the participants, Prof Rajat Moona, Director of IITGN and Chairperson of the Inter IIT Sports Board, said, “It has been proven time and again that sports are not just an extra-curricular activity but also an important source of invaluable life lessons. It teaches us the importance of practice, perseverance, and building mental and physical strength and encourages us to give our best shot, strive for teamwork, celebrate triumphs, deal with failures, rebuild confidence, and come back stronger. No matter whether you win or lose in the sport of your choice, continue to strive for better, and you will succeed in the future. May the best talents win. I wish you all the best for the much-awaited Inter-IIT Sports Meets 2023.”

Prof Abhijit Mishra, Head of Sports at IITGN and Convener of the Inter IIT Sports Meet 2023, said, “We are thrilled to be hosting this event and have put in our best efforts to ensure high-class facilities and an ideal environment for participants to showcase their talents. We are looking forward to an extremely competitive Inter IIT Sports Meet with a spirit of camaraderie and sportsmanship.”

The event’s Mascot “Neelswara” (a nilgai/blue bull, which is a frequently sighted in Gandhinagar), was unveiled in August, 2023, at IITGN. Notably, IITGN has already successfully hosted the 37th Inter IIT Aquatics Meet in October this year and emerged as the highest medal winner in the competition.