Sports associations should make efforts to popularise their respective disciplines among the student fraternity by visiting schools in search of precocious talent, suggested Municipal Commissioner G. Ravi Babu on Tuesday.
Speaking at the inaugural of summer coaching camps jointly organised by the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation and the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) at IGMC stadium, Mr. Ravi Babu said that a majority of youngsters who undergo training in summer camps vanish in thin air once schools reopen. It was the responsibility of sports associations to identify and encourage talented youngsters to continue practising their chosen game or sport.
“The municipal corporation is always in the forefront of developing sports infrastructure in the city. Youngsters should make use of these facilities to carve out a niche for themselves in sports and games,” he desired.
District Sports Development Officer B. Sudhakar said that many talented players who represented India in various tournaments and championships were actually the products of the summer camps. “This city has produced many successful players in cricket, volleyball, archery, weightlifting, table tennis and chess, and they went on to don the Indian colours.
With dedication and commitment, youngsters can excel in their chosen sport or game,” he said, pointing out that excelling in sports and games would help youngsters also get into professional courses like medicine and engineering.
Call to parents
Mayor M.V. Ratna Bindu exhorted parents to encourage their wards to take up sports and games in a big way as these activities would help them in maintaining fitness and good health.
For nearly a month, coaches of the VMC, the District Sports Authority and senior players would impart training in 26 disciplines at IGMC stadium and Makineni Basava Punnaiah Stadium at Ajit Singh Nagar.
Vijayawada Central MLA Malladi Vishnu, VMC Traffic and Sports Committee chairperson Anne Prasanna, Deputy Mayor S.P. Gritton, floor leaders Meesala Rajeswara Rao (Congress), Y. Ramana (TDP), D. Shankar (CPI) and corporators participated in the function.
