As IIT Kharagpur is gearing up to host the inter IIT 2019, it has taken steps to promote sports activities among its students.The institute has allocated Rs. 10 crore for upgrading and renovating sports activities in addition to Rs 1.5 crore allocated by the Institute towards the annual sports budget.The upgradation includes building two synthetic courts each for tennis, basketball and volleyball, one synthetic athletic track, an indoor stadium with a food court. There already exists a stadium for athletics, ground for cricket and soccer, several outdoor courts for tennis, basketball and volleyball and a swimming pool in the Institute.

Tennis has also received a major thrust at IIT Kharagpur as US-based alumnus and entrepreneur Vinod Gupta has roped in US-based Tennis professional T J Hyman, erstwhile coach of ace Tennis player Leander Paes, to start a training program for Tennis enthusiasts at IIT Kharagpur.

William Mohanty, president of Technology Students’ Gymkhana said that sports activities help to strengthen the wellness initiatives as well. Sports tend to inculcate qualities like resonance, leadership, discipline, decision-making, facing challenges etc. He added that students who enroll in NSO Sports, Inter-IIT and Inter-Hall Sports General Championships at IIT Kharagpur, exhibit these qualities at a deep level and are much more resistant to the negative thought process.