After staging two editions of the National Junior Athletic championships in 2004 and 2007, Vijayawada is bracing up to host the event for the third time as it will play host to 30th National Junior Athletics championship at IGMC Stadium from November 26 to 30.
The title sponsor of the event is Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited. The five-day event, tipped as a platform to identity future athletic stars of India, will draw more than 3,000 athletes in the age groups of 14, 16, 18 and 20, both boys and girls, from all over the country to the track and field. The Indian team for the next junior Commonwealth Games will be picked at the event.
“The IGMC Stadium will witness the repair works soon. The District Sports Authority will supply new equipment approved by Athletic Federation of India (AFI) worth Rs. 9 lakh for the event. As this is first mega National event after bifurcation, we are leaving no stone unturned for the success of the event,” said District Sports Development Officer P. Ramakrishna.
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The Andhra Pradesh Athletic Association (APAA) will form several committees for reception, transport, finance, cultural, accommodation, venue and technical for the smooth conduct of the event.
APAA secretary A. V. Raghavendra said that more than 150 events will be held during five-day meet. “We are thankful to the district administration, District Sports Authority and Vijayawada Municipal Corporation for all the initiatives to promote the event at the national-level”.
Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited spokesman Emani Krishna Rao said that the company was adopting stadiums for the promotion of the sports. “We are also helping athletes in their training stints. Apart from tagging 10k runs we are keen to play a constructive role in the sponsoring sporting events in the country.”
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