The Andhra Pradesh Athletic Association (APAA) and CBR Sports Academy entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Saturday to develop Kethanakonda as an athletic hub of the new State.
The academy spread over 80 acres of land has spruced up a six-lane 400-m track and provisions for all track and field events by spending nearly Rs. 50 lakhs.
“The State Government is laying synthetic tracks in all the major stadiums in Vijayawada, Guntur, Kakinada, Eluru and the work will begin soon. As athletes will have no place to practice we have entered into a pact with CBR Academy to make Kethanakonda as the one-stop academy for athletes to train,” said APAA secretary P. Raghavendra Rao.
He said 100 athletes will train in the academy in which both boarding and lodging facilities would be provided.
He said a special thrust will be given to 30 best athletes for the domestic events for the current season. “They will be kept in the residential set up to fine-tune their skills,” he added. Mr. Rao said the education both in English and Telugu medium schools will be proved to athletes who wish to pursue academics.
APAA chief coach Vinayak Prasad said as many as 850 truck loads of mud both red and black clay were used for the levelling and laying of the track.
Swimming pool
“We also have a swimming pool. Our aim is to produce quality athletes of national repute in days to come,” Mr. Prasad said.
Plans are also afoot to get 10 acres in land to set up the academies for boxing, weightlifting and judo as well.
APAA felt the need for Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh to hold its camps at the academy as it offered all the facilities. “SAAP can allot the ear-marked grant to the academy and get the facilities. We will put forward our suggestions to the SAAP managing director soon,” said APAA secretary.
