t was an evening dedicated to ardent sports lovers and fans. In a very different ball game the players battled with each other on a playground that tested their passion for sports. Answering questions on sporting events and moments was both challenging and exciting for the contestants. A correct reply from any team met with a big round of applause from their respective cheerleader and supporters in the audience. Wild guesses, unexpected answers, shrewd and cogent reasons, missed chances, pleading with the quizmaster for bonus points or a good-humoured banter between the teams - it all matched up to the spirit of an enjoyable game of quiz.

The inter-college sports quiz organised by Oxford Bookstore, Kolkata in association with Penguin India, Pepsi, Luxor Pens and Don Giovanni’s, was a special event that brought the best educational institutions of West Bengal under one roof. The 10 teams competing in the Oxford Sports Quiz included IIT, Kharagpur, IIMC , Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, National Institute of Management, Calcutta, Nilratan Sarkar Medical College, Calcutta Medical College, Presidency College, St.Xavier’s College, Lady Brabourne College and Jadavpur University.

Noted sports journalist and commentator, Kishore Bhimani inaugurated the quiz after which quizmaster, Sujit Bhar took centre-stage. The questions, devised and formatted by him, were an interesting mix of athletics, motor racing, cricket, tennis, soccer, rugby, hockey, chess, boxing, baseball and basketball and important sporting events.

The two preliminary rounds comprising five teams each saw the exit of two colleges. However, what kept people on the edge of their seats was the nail-biting finish of the final round. While St.Xavier’s College came third, Jadavpur University and IIM, Joka found themselves in a tiebreaker situation for the coveted top spot. Ultimately it was a googly audio-visual brain-teaser on Rahul Dravid that bowled out Jadavpur University as the top contender of the day.

IIM, Joka walked away with the winner’s trophy at the Prize distribution held at Oxford Bookstore, where actress June Maliah gave away the prizes and certificates of merit to the participants. A young sporty crowd cheered the winning and losing teams all the way at the ceremony with enthusiasm and spirit. Now that’s what we call true sportsmanship… right?