Drenched in sweat, student volunteers have a bittersweet experience at sports meet in Kochi

Student volunteers at the Maharaja’s College ground, the main venue of the Kerala School Sports & Games 2024, in Kochi on Tuesday.
| Photo Credit: R.K. Nithin

Standing guard under a sweltering sun at the fence separating the turf from the gallery at the Maharaja’s College ground, Salvin P.J. and Suryadev P.S., Class 9 students from St. Albert’s Higher Secondary School, were sweating profusely as if they had just stepped out from a shower.

Members of the Student Police Cadet (SPC), the two clad in their khaki uniform were put on access control duty as early as 7 a.m. and were beginning to feel the heat with their blue side-on cap offering little shield. It was proving to be a bittersweet experience for the youngsters with the excitement of being put in charge of an important task subdued by energy sapping conditions.

They were among the 1,800-odd student volunteers drawn from over 40 schools across the district and deployed on various tasks across all 17 venues of the Kerala School Sports & Games 2024 that got under way here on Tuesday. Members of organisations like SPC, NSS (National Service Scheme), NCC (National Cadet Corps), Scouts and Guides, and Junior Red Cross have been deployed as volunteers.

“The law-and-order committee has deployed them based on the requirements of the 15-odd committees associated with the event. For instance, 180 volunteers are deployed at the main venue of Maharaja’s College ground alone. We had initiated the process long before the meet starting with giving schools the required number of volunteers after verifying it with the various committees,” said P.K.M. Shaheed, convener of the law-and-order committee, which also liaises with the police with regard to security at the venues.

Student volunteers have been drawn either from schools that serve as venues or those near the venues. Schools serving as accommodation centres have also contributed volunteers. Their duty begins around 7 a.m. and lasts till around 5 p.m.

Initially, there was a plan to give student volunteers a common overcoat through sponsorship to spot them easily. But that did not work out, and they now wear the uniform of their respective organisations.

R. Sreenidhi, Sreelakshmi N., and Ganga Sajan, students of Government Girls’ Higher Secondary School, Ernakulam, were enjoying their first ever volunteer stint at the medical room at Maharaja’s College ground. “It is taxing but very enjoyable,” said Sreenidhi while going to collect their lunch coupons during a break.