Andhra Pradesh Government gives top priority to sports, says Minister RK Roja

Vijayawada (NTR District): Minister for Tourism, Culture and Youth Advancement RK Roja claimed that the State government has been giving utmost priority to sports sector as well as players in the State.

She unveiled sports kits for AP Sportspersons along with AP Olympic Association President MLA Dharmana Krishnadas, SAAP Chairman Byreddy Siddarth Reddy, Principal Secretary Vani Mohan and SAAP MD N Prabhakar Reddy in Vijayawada on Wednesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Roja said that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has sanctioned Rs 23.91 lakh for providing facilities to the AP team and to make other arrangements, who will represent Andhra Pradesh in 36th National Games that will be held from September 29 in Gujarat State.

The Minister reminded that this amount, which was sanctioned now, was only Rs 16 lakh in the past. She asked sportspersons to elevate AP stature at national level by winning medals. She said that AP stood in 18th place in the last national games held in 2015 in Kerala by gaining 16 medals, but this year the number of medals should increase, she wished.

"Today sportspersons have a craze among the public. If succeeded in getting medals, name, fame, jobs and money will automatically reach you. So, every selected candidate must aim for that," the Minister coaxed the participants. She further asked to show Telugu people's power in Gujarat by winning number of medals.