Ace Connect 2020: Day - 1

Hyderabad, 25th January 2020: The campus of Institute of Management Technology, Hyderabad echoed with fervent energy and vibrant spirits as it geared up to host day one of Ace Connect - where corporate takes the field. The two-day sports meet was declared open by Dr. M Venkateshwarlu, Director - IMT Hyderabad who described the event as one of the biggest hosted by the students of IMT and welcomed the corporates to the campus to reignite their passion for sports.

The seventh edition of this one of a kind mega event witnessed active participation from big names in the corporate world as they prepared themselves to engage in intense competition in the following sports.

Volleyball

Teamwork and tactics go hand in hand in volleyball and the teams participating did not disappoint as they played with finesse determined to get a taste of victory. Day one saw teams from Oracle, RIG and HSBC tough it out on the field as the crowds cheered enthusiastically in support of the exciting games. Team HSBC won against Team RIG with a score of 2-0 but lost against Team Oracle with a score of 0-2. Team Oracle defeated Team RIG as well with a score of 2-0. Mr. Dayakar, Assistant Manager at HSBC said “Playing sports gives people a spirit of victory and get the zeal to work automatically, and I encourage people to play sports. Even losing gives you lessons on how to improve yourself.”

Cricket

“Cricket matches are not about losing and winning, they are about enjoying.” This could be seen in the happy and gleaming faces of the participants. Ace Connect provided a platform to all the cricket fanatics of various organizations to showcase their skills. The event witnessed participation from numerous companies like Nephroplus, CBRE, Oracle, NPCI, Mordor, Sutherland, IDFC bank, Guardian Capital, RIG, Tata Capital and Accion Labs. Mr. Vaibhav Joshi, CFO Nephroplus said “ Events like Ace Connect are an important platform that provide organizations with the insights about the college and its students towards different situations and furthermore their management skills, which otherwise is not possible through a few hours visit during campus recruitment.”

Futsal

Futsal is an exciting, fast-paced small sided football game played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is the goalkeeper. The game's emphasis is on improvisation, creativity, and technique. IMT saw some great players exhibiting their talents and skills. Companies like CBRE played with full vitality and enthusiasm and stated that "Futsal improves your decision-making skills and allows you to be creative which helps, in turn, helps you in your professional life. The one thing that stood out for me was the zeal and the enthusiasm of organizers. IMT has been great as a host." Team D.E Shaw won the finals against CBRE with a score of 4-0.

Table Tennis

A game that tests on concentration and reflexes, witnessed participation from different companies like Microsoft, CBRE and Novartis. The matches were enthralling to a level that it was difficult to keep the eyes off the match. The competitiveness of the match was induced to the crowd who were cheering and supporting their teams. "It is a wonderful experience to be back here we have been coming here for the last three years and the hospitality and the management is getting better with each passing year."  These were the words of the winner of the table tennis tournament, Mr. Romil, Manager from Microsoft who won with a score of 2-0.

Box Cricket

The reverence and love that cricket receives in India is unmatched anywhere else in the world. IMT Hyderabad is no exception, an entire segment was dedicated to box cricket, unique format of the game wherein the teams sweat it out in controlled environment rather than on the field. TCS gave a tough time to IMT Hyderabad all through the three rounds and eventually emerged victorious

"The box cricket format was new to us and it was a great experience playing in such a controlled environment. The pressure handling skills you learn on field can go a long way in helping you in your professional life as well". These were the words of Monica Chanooju a cloud architect from TCS who praised the experience she had at IMT.

Chess

"Chess is everything - art, science, and sport" - Anatoly Karpov

For the first time ever, Ace Connect introduced the  chess tournament as part of the indoor games with companies like Oracle, Infosys, TCS, Capgemini participating enthusiastically. Strategy, intellect and patience are the key pillars on which this beautiful game is built that stimulates the mind and exercises the brain. "Sports keeps you active throughout the day and sets up a routine that helps you keep your goals in mind and realize them. This is my first external tournament and overall the experience is really good." said Mr. Prakhar Sharma, who works as a software developer at Oracle. The team from Capgemini emerged the winners and the team from TCS won second place.

Carrom

A game of skill and technique, carrom requires players to possess a great deal of visual perception and coordination to be able to score and win. Ace Connect hosted the game for the very first time and had many companies such as Infosys, Deloitte, Oracle, IBM, Wells Fargo, Accenture and Biozinik Healthcare among others contend for the prized victory. Mr. Sandeep Kumar, Director at Bizionik Healthcare Private Limited said " Overall the atmosphere here at IMT Hyderabad is very motivating and the greenery of the campus is refreshing. I have been playing carroms for the past twenty years and a lot of things have changed but we should look forward to pro-carrom league that will come up in the next couple of years."

The first day of Ace Connect ended on an exhilarating note and left everyone in anticipation of what the next day would have in store. The participants let their hair down and hung their shoes for the day gearing up for the challenge which the next sunrise would present them with.