Take a look towards SVNIT’s sports ground. For most of the year, all you will see is grass. As the month of January rolls by and the hype of the new year dies down, talks of cricket start buzzing around campus. No. These SVNITians aren’t talking about Virat Kohli or MS Dhoni, they’re chatting about their own cricket stars. Teams have been training for months, banners spring up overnight, and decorations adorn the campus. MMNCT has arrived! And so has the excitement amongst the college crowd for their favorite teams.
What started as an effort to keep the late Manoj Kumar’s memory alive forever has now transformed into an annual, full-fledged carnival of cricket. Each edition promises to be better than the last, and this year’s 14th edition did not disappoint. Over five days, from 6-10th February, teams battled it out on the freshly constructed SVNIT cricket ground. While teams played match after match on the field, supporters came in huge numbers to cheer on their favorite teams and players. Whether it be the Bealonians (M.Sc. 1st year to 5th year), Sumerians (B.Tech. 1st year), Valkyries (M.Tech. 2nd year), Spartans (B.Tech. 4th year), Samurai (Localites), or Athenians (B.Tech. 1st year), no team backed down from facing the stern challenges before them.
A little further from the boundary ropes, audience members were seen sipping Coke, enjoying Panipuri, Frankies, or savoring Chicken Biryani from the various food stands set up around the ground. While commentators were slipping jokes in every sentence, mascots including Chhota Bheem, Bhalu, and Modiji roamed the ground, obliging to selfie requests and distributing candy to audience members. After a tiring day of classes, students finally had something fun to look forward to in the evening, and they flocked to the SAC ground to witness the spectacle and soak in the festive atmosphere.
On February 10th, the Girls Finalists, the Bealonians and the Valkyries entered the ground for one final showdown. In the end, the Valkyries proved to be better on the given day and earned the title of MMNCT 2019 Champions.
A short while later, the last match of the night between the Boys Finalists, Spartans and Samurai, began. After a well-fought showdown, the Spartans emerged victorious and were crowned MMNCT 2019 Champions.
MMNCT 2019 has been a thrilling tournament and left us waiting eagerly for the next one. So SVNIT will wait, and look forward to the time when the SAC ground once again turns into the most loved carnival of cricket, fans, and enjoyment.
SUMANT S. DANGI
Correspondent, Renesa
This article was originally written for and published on Renesa – The Official Media and Publication House of NIT Surat. It was originally titled “MMNCT 2019”.
