Regional Differences in Sports Event Organization and Student Participation Among Technical Institutions in Karnataka

Abstract

Abstract Sports programmes in higher education provide students with opportunities to remain physically active while also supporting social interaction, personal development, teamwork and involvement in campus life. However, limited information is available regarding how the organization of sporting activities and the level of student involvement differ among technical institutions across Karnataka. The present investigation was undertaken to assess zonal variations in the conduct of sports activities and student participation among engineering colleges affiliated with Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU). A descriptive comparative approach was employed, covering 120 institutions drawn from eight zones, with 15 colleges selected randomly from each zone. Information was obtained from the Physical Education Directors or, where applicable, the personnel responsible for sports activities through an investigator-developed questionnaire. The analysis focused on the occurrence of indoor and outdoor sporting events and the proportion of students involved in intramural and extramural programmes. The collected information was summarized through frequencies and percentages. The results revealed clear differences among the zones. Institutions belonging to Mangalore and Bangalore Central demonstrated comparatively greater organization of sporting activities along with higher levels of student involvement in both intramural and extramural programmes. In contrast, institutions in Belagavi and Gulbarga showed relatively lower levels of sports-event organization and student participation. The findings suggest that institutions providing sporting opportunities more regularly tend to achieve broader student involvement. Accordingly, systematic planning of sports programmes and more balanced provision of participation opportunities across technical institutions could contribute to greater student engagement, physically active lifestyles and the overall development of engineering students in Karnataka.