The Andhra Pradesh State senior badminton championship for men and women organised in memory of Kandru Swatantra Bharathi was inaugurated at Motukuri Mala Kondaiah Indoor Stadium here on Tuesday.
Speaking at the inaugural, stadium chairman Ch. K.V. Prasad said the town was hosting the major tournament owing to the commitment of the members of the stadium.
Encouraging role
“It is difficult to conduct a big tourney, as the town lacks facilities. But, the Andhra Pradesh Badminton Association has given us support and encouragement in taking up the assignment,” said Mr. Prasad. He said the stadium was constructed without any contribution from either the State or the Central governments. Members such as M. Sambasiva Rao, who contributed Rs.13 lakh, pitched enthusiastically to build the stadium for the benefit of the people of the town. “I give credit of its success to the members, as they sacrificed their time and wealth for the sake of society.” “We have two wooden shuttle courts, a gym, a town hall, and provision for carrom and chess. We are consistently producing good players for Guntur district. We charge Rs. 125 per month for using the gym,” he added. Andhra Cricket Association secretary Gokaraju Ganga Raju said Mangalagiri would soon hit the world map with the international stadium nearing completion.
“We have provision for shuttle courts, swimming pool, and an indoor stadium for volleyball and basketball. The cricket stadium will be an asset to the people of Mangalagiri,” he added.
Fillip to badminton
He also said the ACA, which was supporting other games, would lend a helping hand to the growth of badminton. “I think badminton is the second popular game after cricket and, with Saina Nehwal winning bronze medal at the London Olympics, the game has caught the imagination of the youngsters,” he pointed out.
Guntur District Sports Development Officer Venkateswara Rao said that under the constituency sports development scheme, Rs. 1 crore was allocated by the State government and a GO issued. “I will soon discuss with the local MLA and send a proposal to the State government,” he said. Guntur District Badminton Association president Rayapati Ranga Rao, GDBA secretary T. Sampat Kumar, K. Siva Ramakrishna, the main sponsor, police officials — K. Nageswara Rao, V. V. Ramana Rao, and T. Murali Krishna took part in the meeting.
