Vijayawada: The School Games Federation of Andhra Pradesh Under-19 Boys and Girls Inter-District Wrestling Tournament began on Tuesday at Ashoka Function Hall, near the Saibaba Temple in Nunna, close to Vijayawada. The three-day tournament is being organised under the aegis of the School Games Federation of Andhra Pradesh (SGFAP), Samagra Shiksha (SS), and the NTR District School Games Federation, and is hosted by Zilla Parishad High School, Nunna. A total of 350 participants, including players, coaches, and managers from the erstwhile 13 districts across the state, arrived to take part in the competitions. The competitions include Under-19 Boys’ and Girls’ Freestyle and Boys’ Greco-Roman wrestling categories. The best performers will be selected to represent Andhra Pradesh at the School Games Nationals.

The event was inaugurated by Andhra Pradesh Wrestling Association State President G Bhushanam, ZP High School Head Master Surapaneni Ravi Prasad, School Management Committee (SMC) Chairman G Kumar, and Tournament Observer Ch Ramesh by lighting the lamp to mark the formal commencement of the tournament. Speaking on the occasion, Andhra Pradesh Wrestling Association President Bhushanam emphasised that sports are an integral part of education and vital for students’ physical and mental development. He appreciated the Nunna ZP High School for hosting the event for the third consecutive year with excellent facilities that meet national standards. Technical Committee In-Charge P Anand, Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) Wrestling Coaches K Manohar and S Kanaka Durga, ZP High School First Assistant Gopinath, and Organising Secretary T Srilatha were among those present.