AP getting ready to hold 2027 National Games

Vijayawada: The state government is planning to hold the 2027 National Games in Andhra Pradesh. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is focusing on providing necessary infrastructure for conducting the national sports in the state.

The CM on Thursday directed the officials to see that all the stadiums and playgrounds across the state were well-developed and ensure that people from all segments take active part in yoga, exercises and various sports activities. He also emphasized on the need to encourage sports like Kabaddi and Volleyball in rural areas.

Reviewing the status of sports facilities in the state, Naidu said works on 35 sports Vikas Kendras which were stalled during the regime of the YSRCP government should be restarted immediately. He said the government was sanctioning Rs 23 crore for the works. He also directed the officials to involve the local people in the development of sports grounds and if the NRIs or others come forward and contribute money then the grounds could be named after them. He told the officials to explore the PPP model for speedy development of sports infrastructure in the state.

He further asked the officials to prepare a draft sports policy as the one that was prepared by the TDP government in 2017 had expired. He said special focus should be laid in giving high quality training to the sportspersons so that the state can compete globally for medals. He told the officials to see that solar panels were set up in all stadiums so that they can have uninterrupted power supply.

Naidu asked the officials to talk to all those who were allotted land for sports academies and see that they start functioning.

He told the officials to take back the land if any of them were not interested in setting up the academies. He also felt the need to transform Tirupati, Amaravati and Visakhapatnam as sports hubs by providing necessary infrastructure. Naidu said the biggest stadium would be constructed at Amaravati. The Chief Minister also told the officials to take steps to set up sports centres in all the district collectorates.