Brothers reach for gold both on and off the field
Singapore national team players Avi Dixit and Anvay Dixit share their thoughts on striving for academic and athletic excellence
Balancing the myriad academic and extracurricular activities at Yale-NUS is no easy feat, but brothers Avi Dixit (Class of 2023) and Anvay Dixit (Class of 2025) rise to meet the challenge of balancing their university commitments with their roles as national athletes.
A member of the Singapore national cricket team, Avi’s most recent accomplishments were at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) held in Cambodia from 5 to 7 May, where he helped the national team win a gold and two bronze medals. “To be able to represent Singapore at such a prestigious stage was a true privilege and one that I am extremely grateful for,” he says of the experience. The Singapore team clinched a hard-earned victory in the Sixes tournament by winning two games back-to-back after losing their first match. Sixes is the fastest format of cricket played with six players per side, compared with the usual 11, and takes just 45 minutes to complete.
Avi is no stranger to the challenging life of a student athlete.
“Having joined the Singapore Under-16 team, then progressing to the Under-19 team and finally the national squad, I have been working on my academics in school and college while playing cricket the entire time,” he shared.
Early morning study sessions, efficient time management and a great deal of self-discipline to cultivate a strong work ethic became necessary parts of his routine, and he often found himself attending classes remotely to accommodate his touring obligations with the national team during his time at college. Nevertheless, Avi is grateful to Yale-NUS College for supporting his athletic career, fondly recalling how his Assistant Deans and professors would help facilitate his academic commitments with his training schedule. “I have a lot of gratitude to Yale-NUS College for allowing me to train and play for the flag and I would like to thank everyone involved for allowing me to pursue my dreams.”
Anvay, a member of the national co-ed softball team, recently participated in the inaugural Co-Ed Slow Pitch Softball Asia Cup in Thailand from 24 to 27 May, with participants from Southeast Asia and East Asia. At the tournament, Anvay distinguished himself by scoring two home runs and achieving the best batting average of the event. He is currently ranked the best batsman on the national team.
Inspired by his brother’s illustrious athletic career, Anvay chose to pursue his passion for softball, having captained his school’s varsity softball team prior to attending Yale-NUS.
“I saw the dedication he has towards cricket and delved into my passion for softball,” he says, whilst acknowledging that his parents’ support in his athletic pursuits was especially instrumental in achieving his own ambitions. “My late father inspired me to see something all the way through, rather than giving it up, and my mom’s support and guidance on how to carry myself through a certain way of thinking has helped me achieve great heights in softball.”
Balancing his sporting commitments with a busy college schedule is challenging, he concedes, but one that he takes in stride. “I had to balance two to three hours of training on average per day with the same duration for academics,” he noted, before adding that his professors helped him develop an academic workload that was manageable with his rigorous training schedule, for which he is thankful.
The Dixit brothers’ commitment to excellence, both on the field and off, is a testament to the achievements of Yale-NUS College students, and the support they receive from faculty and staff to pursue their dreams.
