Sports would get a major fillip in the State if the government order facilitating the transfer of 0.75% of the Additional Privileged Fee from excise sales to the Sports Authority of Telangana State is implemented. It would mean about ₹100 crore of annual budget for SATS, said Chairman A. Venkateshwar Reddy.
“Also, if the order regarding sports quota of two % in direct recruitment in different departments and undertakings of the State government is implemented, there will be a sea change in sports,” felt Mr. Reddy.
Some of the proposals that Mr. Reddy submitted to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao also include refurbishing the existing synthetic athletic track, laid in 2001, at GMC Balayogi Stadium costing about ₹8 crore; reviving the Chief Minister’s Cup for men and women to facilitate scouting of talent from rural areas; laying of a 400m synthetic track at Hakim Sports School and regularisation of services of contract coaches in SATS.
Mr. Reddy also revealed that he has plans to construct an indoor stadium on his mother’s name (Allipuram Indiramma) at Allipuram C.C. Kunta in Mahabubnagar.
On cash incentives, Mr. Reddy said after the revised GO in this regard, the government had released about ₹15 crore since 2016. “If the SATS Chairman has the power to sanction ₹2 lakh cash incentive depending on the merits of a case, it will do a world of good to many deserving athletes in rural areas who otherwise have no access to the top officials in administration,” he said.
Mr. Reddy also felt the need to renovate the Lal Bahadur Stadium, constructed in 1960, as it’s the only one in the heart of the State capital, distribute cricket kits and sports material to all the Youth and Sports Clubs at mandal-level, set up sports academies in each of the districts in Telangana depending on the popularity of that particular discipline in that region. “Despite the government agreeing to establish a sports university and even appointing K. Narsaiah as special officer by sanctioning about ₹65 crore in the 2014-15 budget, work has not yet begun,” he said.
Mr. Reddy also stressed on the importance of having a SAI Regional Centre at Gachibowli given the world-class infrastructure available there and also involve some of the IT and ITES firms to adopt at least one sports academy and one Olympic discipline by identifying 100 potential champions.
