Student premier leagues bring IPL style auctions to education | Mangaluru News

Mangaluru: Educational institutions in the coastal districts are adopting IPL-style cricket auctions, transforming sports into a dynamic learning experience. These premier league-like events are held in many colleges across the district.
For example, the Institute of Aviation at Srinivas University, Mangaluru, hosted the ‘Aviation Premier League’ tournament on Friday and made elaborate preparations leading up to the event. On Thursday, Agnes College hosted the Agnes Premier League and saw fierce competition among nine cricket teams, with a few girls in each team.
Pavithra Kumari, dean of the Institute of Aviation Studies at Srinivas University, highlighted that the cricket premier league commenced with an auction involving 15 student team owners participating in intense bidding battles, tactical planning, and thoughtful decision-making. The proceedings demonstrated the owners’ administrative capabilities and thorough grasp of team coordination.
She emphasised that the occasion created an immersive and challenging environment, enabling students to participate in an auction-based selection system. Additionally, it functioned as a venue for strengthening their leadership qualities and comprehension of sports administration principles, while contributing to their overall management understanding.
At St Agnes College, the premier league event in football and cricket has been hosted for the past three years. Sr Venessa, the principal, told TOI that it was the plan of MBA/MCA students and involves undergraduate students as well.
“The premier league has two sports events: football and cricket. Football is held first, and this time the cricket event had about nine teams. The uniqueness of these events is that they are completely overseen by students, starting from the auction, and only the physical director assists,” shared Sr Venessa.
A similar event is also held at St Aloysius PU College and at St Aloysius (deemed to be university). The Aloysius Premier League at the PU college was introduced two years ago and includes a girls’ cricket team. At the degree college, apart from sports, the premier league is extended to music, arts, and theatre.
“Our theatre league is a unique one where teams are auctioned, and around four-five teams come together to present a 40-minute play as part of the event,” said Alwyn V Dsa, controller of examinations at the college. He added that beyond mere entertainment, these initiatives provide a practical platform for education, offering valuable lessons in management and strategy.