Hanumakonda: 5-day track & field action from today

Hanumakonda: The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JNS) is ready for a five-day track and field action where you could see 700 odd sportspersons compete in 48 events at the 60th National Open Athletics Championships (NOAC) 2021 from Wednesday. This is the first time that such a huge event is taking place in two Telugu-speaking States – Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

The newly laid synthetic track at the JNS, which is going to be used for the first time, is one of the cherished dreams of the athletics in and around Warangal. The work on Rs 7.8-crore synthetic track has been completed in time to host the track events.

The track was installed under 'Khelo India', a Central government scheme aimed at sports development. While Kerala is set to field 30 athletes, the highest, Telangana is fielding 17 athletes in this championship, it's learnt.

Telangana Athletics Association president Stanley Jones, Warangal Athletics Association president Varada Rajeshwar Rao and NOAC organising secretary K Sarangapani strived hard to make the event memorable.

They were ably supported by Chief Whip D Vinay Bhaskar, Hanumakonda District Collector Rajeev Gandhi Hanumanthu and Commissioner of Police Tarun Joshi.

Minister for Sports, Tourism and Culture V Srinivas Goud will inaugurate the tourney at 5 pm on Wednesday. Minister for Panchayat Raj Errabelli Dayakar Rao, TS Planning Board vice-chairman B Vinod Kumar, Chief Whip D Vinay Bhaskar, Mayor Gundu Sudharani and Athletics Federation of India senior vice-president Anju Bobby George were among others expected to grace the occasion.