Boost to rural sports with new stadiums

Anantapur: The state government is now on a mission to develop one sports stadium in every Assembly constituency and develop rural sports infrastructure facilities in every Assembly segment in the state. 

The Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP), as part of its policy, is planning to develop 10 rural stadiums by 2019 in the district and already completed 3 rural stadiums, costing Rs 2 crore each. 

In the first phase, the SAAP sanctioned four green field stadiums in the district at a cost of Rs 2.1 crore each. The 4 stadiums include the Assembly constituencies of Kalyandurg, Singanamala, Raptadu and Penukonda. 

Also, Rs 8.4 crore for the construction of four more stadiums at Narpala in Singanamala constituency, Kalyandurg town in Kalyandurg constituency, Ramagiri in Raptadu constituency and Penukonda town in Penukonda constituency had been set apart. 

District Sports Authority chairman and Collector Veera Pandian told The Hans India that four stadiums, all in rural areas built by the SAAP would boost rural sports and raise several sportsmen and women. 

Every constituency in the district would get one as part of the government policy to give a boost to sports infrastructure in the district. He called upon all sports lovers to take full advantage of the facilities in the district and help groom rural sports persons and talent. 

District Sports Development Officer Jagannath Reddy told The Hans India that youngsters in rural areas are highly talented and energetic. One can see young boys and girls playing cricket without sports kits. 

The rural youth can be seen using tree vertical branch stems as wickets and similar wooden sticks resembling a bat and playing the game with utmost dedication. If the rural youth are given basic facilities, tools, kits and required infrastructure, the youth would excel in sports, he opined. 
The government has given enough funds to build 10 stadiums. Tenders have been called for completing the remaining stadiums. 

The rural stadiums in future would galvanise the youth to the stadiums and new talent would be emerging out of the rural heartland. The SAAP would do its level best to boost rural talent. 

Already three stadiums in Kalyandurg and Ramagiri and Narpala had been inaugurated while the one in Penukonda is nearing completion and would be ready for inauguration soon. 

The sports facilities in the stadiums include indoor stadium, pavilion building, shopping complex and play fields for basketball, volleyball, lawn tennis, kabaddi, kho-kho, cricket and 200 metre athletic track. Project Director (Housing) Chatta Veerabhadra Prasad is overseeing the construction of stadiums in the district.