Students must take part in sports: Minister Muthemsetty Srinivas

Ongole: It is also an important right of the children to play games and schools must make sure that the students participate in sports and games at least one day in a week, said the Minister for Sports, Tourism, Culture and Youth Services Muthemsetty Srinivas. The minister along with his cabinet colleagues Balineni Srinivasa Reddy and Dr Adimulapu Suresh inaugurated the state level men and women kabaddi tournament organised by the district sports authority by participating as chief guests at the mini-stadium in Ongole on Sunday.

The Minister for sports said that they are organizing 13 games and sports tournaments at 13 districts in the name of the chief minister. He observed that the private schools were not having grounds in many places and ordered them to rent the grounds for the sports and games utilization of the students. He said that they are conducting the 13 varieties of the games to find star performers from the unexplored places. He said that the chief minister himself is an athlete and stresses on physical fitness. He announced that the government has spent Rs 2 crores for the encouragement of sports and paid the players.

Minister for Energy, Environment, Forests, Science, and Technology Balineni Srinivasa Reddy said that the government was providing two percent reservation to sportspersons in giving employment opportunities

Education Minister Dr Adimulapu Suresh said that the chief minister wants the state to be Fit Andhra Pradesh and said that the government wants to set up one sports complex in each assembly constituency.

District Collector Dr Pola Bhaskara said that they have allocated 18 acres of land at the Tanguturi Prakasam University in Pernamitta for a sports stadium, and identified 70 acres of land in Ongole for sports school. He said that the works of YSR Sports Complex at PVR Boys High School with swimming pool, four fields, and one dormitory will done in a phased manner.

The AJC K Narendra Prasad, sports director Ramana, STEP CEO PV Narayana, DEO Subbarao, tourism officer Nagabhushanam, DRDA PD J Elisha, OMC commissioner P Niranjan Reddy and others also participated in the program.