Sports facilities in schools relieve students of stress and improve their physical fitness and self-confidence, Regional Inspector of Physical Education G. Bhanumurthy Raju said on Tuesday.
Speaking as chief guest in the inaugural session of a two-day 27th Sports Day celebrations in Pushpagiri School campus at Chinna Chowk here, he said private schools were giving lesser importance to sports and lauded the Pushpagiri School management for organising yoga, archery and traditional sports events.
Pushpagiri School director M. Vivekananda Reddy, who presided, said the school was according equal importance to education as well as sports. A swimming pool, 500 metres running track and a basket ball court would be set up on the school campus within a year, he said.
As many as 600 students were participating in the two-day sports event in sub-junior, junior and senior categories. Sports events would be held for teachers and parents of students on December 26, Mr. Vivekananda Reddy said.
Teachers and parents should encourage students to take part in sports events by gauging their interest, senior branch manager of Vijaya Bank Chandan Sahu said. Parents were forcing their children to study but not asking them to play for at least an hour in a day, he said. He lit the sports torch.
A total of 120 students led by Sunil Kumar, Harish and Afzalunnisa presented a guard of honour. Students performed yoga and pyramid feats and ribbon dances. Vijaya Bank manager Satyanarayana administered a pledge to students.
Earlier, NCC Officer Capt. C. Vijayabhaskar lit the sports torch in the school campus at Nagarajupet. Pushpagiri School dean Siva Kumar, principal P. Harikrishna, physical education teacher Anjaneyulu, teachers and students participated.
