Grooming local talent to become international players

##BIG-IMAGE##Anantapur: District Sports Authority's indoor stadium in Ashoknagar has emerged as the nerve centre for coaching of basketball game by the Sports Development Officer Jaganatha, who is taking keen interest in nurturing schoolchildren of today into sports persons of tomorrow.

Every day, about 60-70 high school and junior college going students both boys and girls would come for a rigorous training for two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening. The students hail from both government and private colleges in the city. At the indoor stadium, enthusiastic college girls and boys, who have emerged as national players representing AP state in basketball are seen enthusiastically practicing.

National players like Pallavi, Asiamma, Sweeja, Padmavathi, Nandini, Varsha, Prameela, Sukanya, and Nandini, all under 18 years had won laurels at the state-level and received awards several times for their outstanding performance.

These girls are representing the AP state at the national-level. Every day, they practice and play with perseverance hoping that someday they would have the privilege of representing the country and AP in the Olympics. These players who spoke to ‘The Hans India’ says that they love the game and are being groomed up as national players by sports officer Jaganatha.

The indoor sports stadium is the most happening place with excellent facilities for the players. The government is extending free coaching and supply of all sports kits free of cost to the boys and girls.

Speaking to ‘The Hans India’ Jaganatha stated that the cream of the basketball players will also be sent to sports academies in the state for receiving training from coaches belonging to the USA and Brazil. These sportspersons would also receive extra diet and care by the academy concerned, he mentioned.