The oldest sports stadium in Andhra Pradesh, Brahmananda Reddy Stadium, will be developed on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) basis as a world-class stadium, said Minister for Sports Kollu Ravindra.
The Minister told reporters after a review meeting held in the presence of Ministers Pulla Rao, Nakka Ananda Babu, MLA Venugopala Reddy and Collector Kona Sasidhar, that global tenders would be invited next month for constructing the stadium with all facilities.
The decision evoked mixed reactions from sports associations. While welcoming the decision to revive the stadium, now in a shambles, the athletic association of Guntur district urged the government to ensure that the stadium should be thrown open to sportspersons from all regions.
The stadium, named after former Chief Minister Kasu Brahmananda Reddy, is an elliptical shaped facility with a capacity to accommodate 20,000 people.
The stadium has been a happy hunting ground for star athletes and it was here in 1989 during the National Athletics Championship that P.T Usha rediscovered her form, after the history she created in the Asian Games in 1984. The stadium also hosted first class Ranji matches in the 1980s and 90s.
Since then, the stadium has lost its sheen over the last few years and has become a shadow of itself due to apathy of sporting bodies. It lacks proper drainage facility and during heavy rains flood water accumulates here spoiling the track. The new proposals include construction of a drainage system.
The stadium would be given a complete facelift. “The AP government has chosen the PPP mode to develop the BR Stadium not due to paucity of funds, but to ensure creation of world-class infrastructure with private participation,’’ said the Minister.
