2,000 athletes got jobs under sports quota, says Minister Roja

Kurnool: Minister for Sports, Culture and Tourism R K Roja said that the government is selflessly making all efforts to encourage sports talent and for promoting sports sector on a larger scale. Inaugurating a gymnastic equipment centre at the outdoor stadium here on Saturday, Roja said that the state government was giving a big boost to the sports sector and providing jobs to nearly 2,000 athletes under sports quota.

More than 1,000 summer camps have been organised in 26 districts to encourage the sportsman spirit among the enthusiasts, said the sports minister. She further said that the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh would be always on the forefront to bring the young athletes to limelight. Playing sports was very important for every student.

"We are coordinating with the education department to see that students have a game period for at least one hour," she said. Every school should have playgrounds else they would be taken into task, said Roja. She said that the international sports athlete Jafreen has been given Rs 7 lakh as a means of financial assistance.

Later Roja along with the Sports Authority Chairman Byreddy Siddartha Reddy inaugurated the gymnastic equipment worth Rs 69 lakh at the center in the outdoor stadium. To encourage the rollerskater kids she spent a while with them. Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramana, Bhupathi Rao, Sreenath, Ravi Kumar, Susanth, Nayab Rasool, Avinash Shetty and others participated.