Sports promotion a top priority for TDP government: SAAP Chairman

Chairman of Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) A. Ravi Naidu on Saturday said development and promotion of sports in the State was one of the top priorities of the TDP-led coalition government.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the South Zone Inter-University Men’s Badminton Tournament-2026, being organised at KL Deemed to be University, Mr. Ravi Naidu said the government had plans to establish a world-class Sports City in Amaravati where all sports can be hosted at one place. Further, land had been allotted for construction of badminton academies — 3 acres in Visakhapatnam had been given to PV Sindhu, 12 acres in Amaravati to Pullela Gopichand and 5 acres in Tirupati to Kidambi Srikanth, he added.

For the first time in the country, without a written examination jobs were provided to 421 eligible sportspersons by following the horizontal reservation system in the Sports DSC, he pointed out. He said as many as 128 top universities from Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala were participating in the tournament, with around 896 badminton players representing their respective universities.

Referring to the 87th National Senior Badminton Championship held recently in Vijayawada after a gap of 10 years, he said Surya Charishma did the State proud by winning the gold medal in the Senior Women’s Singles category. He said Andhra Pradesh women’s team finishing as runners-up in the senior team event was a testimony to the State’s badminton talent.

KL University Vice-Chancellor G. Parthasaradhi Varma said sports play a vital role in improving both physical health and mental strength among youth. He said such competitions help in building confidence among students.

Director of Sports K. Harikishore said that the university provided fee concession and various incentives to sportspersons studying at the institution. Former Joint Secretary of the Badminton Association of India Punnayya Chowdary, NTR District Sports Development Officer K. Koteswara Rao, Pro Vice-Chancellors of the university A.V.S. Prasad, N. Venkat Ram and K. Rajashekara Rao, Registrar K. Subba Rao, and South Zone Badminton Association Organising Secretary K. Harikishore, among others attended the programme.