What are the sports facilities available at IIT Madras?

IIT Madras, renowned for its academic excellence, also offers exceptional sports facilities to cater to the holistic development of its students. The institute boasts state-of-the-art sports infrastructure, providing ample opportunities for students to engage in various sports and recreational activities. The Institute offers first-rate amenities like an Olympic-standard swimming pool, a fully-stocked gym, the outstanding IIT-Chemplast cricket facility, a sizable outdoor stadium, and a high-tech wood-floored multifunctional indoor stadium in the Students’ Activity Centre. Following is a list of the sports facilities available:

• K.S Narayanan Centre for Cricketing Excellence

• An athletics stadium

• Four tennis courts (synthetic-floored) and badminton courts (wood-floored)

• An Olympic-standard swimming pool

• Hockey & football fields with floodlights

• Two basketball courts and two volleyball courts

• A well-equipped gymnasium with professional instructors

• Two world-class squash courts

• Weightlifting Arena

• Table tennis facility

• A skating rink around Sangam ground

Students have a fantastic opportunity to develop their skills thanks to the steadfast devotion and enthusiasm of the student body and the faculty's constant support and advice. Numerous sporting clubs exist, such as:

• Aquatics Club

• Athletics Club

• Badminton Club

• Bridge Club

• Cricket Club

• Football Club

• Hockey Club

• Squash Club

• Table Tennis Club

• Tennis Club

• Volleyball Club

• Weightlifting Club

What is NSO?

The National Sports Organization under the Govt. of India has introduced a scheme in IITs under which students can select a sport and receive training in it from experts. NSO offers the option of choosing from a variety of sports spanning cricket, athletics, frisbee, yoga and weightlifting, aquatics to name a few. The criterion for selection varies depending on the sport, the instructor and the number of people who turn up for the try-outs. In many cases, it is not essential to have prior experience in the sport to get selected. For instance, in Tennis, the selection is based on stamina. In basketball, on the other hand, it depends on the student’s ability to dribble and do a lay-up. Some sports are tougher to get selected into as compared to others. Racquet sports, for instance, see tough competition owing to restrictions due to infrastructure.

The Dean's Trophy experiences just as much tough competition as the Schroeter - the inter-hostel sports competition with events including cycling, bridge, chess, and six-a-side footy, to name a few. For those seeking more, each department hosts its own sporting competitions, which are all held at Sangam under bright floodlights. The climax of all athletic events for the academic year is eventually marked by Gymkhana Day, in all its honor and grandeur. The winning hostels cheer as they bask in the victory, and give off a whiff of the “hostel feels”.