Telangana CM Revanth seeks permanent sports infrastructure for Khelo India Games
At a review meeting on preparations for the games at the MCRHRD Institute here, the Chief Minister stressed that the sporting event should be conducted to high standards and that the infrastructure created for it should remain useful for future sporting activities.
Ministers Jupally Krishna Rao and Vakiti Srihari, Sports Authority Chairman Shivsena Reddy and senior officials attended the meeting.
Revanth Reddy directed officials to coordinate arrangements for the Khelo India Games with preparations for the Invest Telangana Global Summit and utilise the infrastructure developed for the summit for the sporting event.
He also asked them to explore opportunities to attract investments in sports and sports development during the summit.
He said the games were important in the context of the State’s new sports policy and the proposed Young India Physical Education and Sports University, and could help develop Telangana into a national sports hub.
The Chief Minister instructed that Group-I level officers be assigned to monitor infrastructure development and arrangements throughout the event. Trainee and Group-I officers in different districts would supervise competitions held at the respective venues.
He also sought weekly progress reports on preparations and reviewed arrangements for athletes’ accommodation and food.
He called for measures to ensure that sports facilities developed for the event were maintained as permanent assets, noting that some infrastructure created during the previous government had deteriorated within a few years of the events for which it was built.
In view of the prevailing El Nino conditions, he advised officials to avoid unnecessary expenditure on the opening and closing ceremonies while ensuring proper arrangements for the participants.
The games are expected to draw more than 7,000 young athletes and around 2,000 coaches and officials from across the country.
A total of 27 sporting disciplines and one demonstration event will be conducted at 20 venues across six cities, including Hyderabad.
The Chief Minister also directed officials to take immediate steps to include ‘Karrasamu’, a traditional Telangana martial art, in the games under the host State’s quota.
Officials informed him that Telangana athletes were undergoing training at Khelo India camps in various districts and briefed him on the progress of infrastructure works at the 20 designated venues.
Chief Secretary Sanjay Jaju, Advisor to the Chief Minister K Ramakrishna Rao, Special Chief Secretary (Sports) Vani Prasad and Sports Authority Managing Director Sonibala Devi were among those present.
