Vijayawada: Education Minister Nara Lokesh has urged Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to assist the state in the construction of a Sports City with international standards in Amaravati.
Lokesh met Mandaviyat on the second day of his visit to New Delhi and said the construction work for the state capital was progressing rapidly. Central support, he said, would be appreciated for the setting up of the sports city as a prominent landmark there.
He explained, “The state government is prioritising the development of sports. Creating world-class training facilities and supporting athletes in various sports disciplines at national and international platforms are the central objectives of the Sports City. We seek collaboration to transform Andhra Pradesh into a sports hub,” he said.
Lokesh highlighted the need for support at the grassroots level in schools and villages to foster sports development. He said, “We are planning to establish Centres of Excellence near Guntur at Nagarjuna University for athletics, archery and weightlifting, as well as centres for hockey and shooting at the Kakinada district sports authority grounds.”
Lokesh called for swift approval from the Union sports ministry for proposals submitted by the AP government concerning 39 projects that would involve a cost of `341.57 crore. These, he said, were aimed at enhancing sports infrastructure under the Khelo India initiative.
The education minister also made a call for the establishment of a regional centre for the Sports Authority of India (SAI) in Tirupati, along with a state-level centre for athletics and wrestling. He also unveiled plans for the creation of Khelo India centres in all 26 districts.
Additionally, in order to encourage athletes nationwide, Lokesh urged the government to offer railway sports concession passes to players and central assistance in the development of ESI hospitals in Andhra Pradesh.
Mandaviya promised full central support in transforming AP into a sports hub and agreed to expand the services of ESI hospitals in the state.
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