Cricketer Shivam Dube kickstarts VIT cultural fest Riviera 2024

VIT's Riviera 2024 cultural fest showcases talent, energy, and international participation, featuring entertainment events and skill-based competitions.

A fusion of talent, ideas and energy pervaded the air at the Vellore Institute of Technology’s (VIT) cultural fest, ‘Riviera 2024’, which commenced at the college campus on Thursday, February 29, 2024.

With over 40,000 students including participants from 135 universities and colleges in the country and 25 other countries in Asia, Europe and Africa, the big- ticket, four-day event will include entertainment events, skill-based competitions and shows.

“Students should focus on their dreams. Hard work and dedication to achieve their dreams should be the ideals of students during their academic years. In that sense, VIT provides the ambiance for such focused efforts of students,” said cricketer Shivam Dube, who inaugurated the festival.

Amidst thundering applause, Mr. Dube shared his thoughts on cricket, long drives and books. “If I had not been a cricketer, I would have become an actor. Years spent by me to become a successful cricketer are my best memories,” the cricketer said when a student asked him to share unforgettable memories.

In his presidential address, G. Viswanathan, founder-chancellor, VIT, who declared the festival open, said that the Central and State governments should take concrete steps to improve sports in the country by allocating adequate funds, infrastructure and creating the right ambience for sportspersons. In the 2020 Olympics held in Tokyo, India secured overall 58th position with one gold medal, two silver medals and four bronze medals whereas neighbouring China stood at second position by winning 38 gold medals in the event,” he said. 

The Chancellor said that the Rivera festival was launched in 2002, one year after the institution became a University in 2001, with a total budget of ₹10 lakh. Since then, the festival has been growing in terms of participation and fund allocation. For Riviera 2024, the total budget allocation was ₹ 4 crore, he said.  

The day’s events began at 5.30 a.m. when over 2,000 students participated in a 5-km marathon, ‘Start from Greenos,’ that kicked off from the VIT campus, to highlight the importance of saving the environment.