VIJAYAWADA: Reiterating the TDP-led NDA government’s commitment to supporting sportspersons, Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) chairman Animini Ravi Naidu on Saturday announced that pending incentives worth Rs 16 crore, left unsettled by the previous YSRCP administration, have been cleared in one go.
Addressing the media at the SAAP headquarters, Ravi Naidu said that the National Sports Day was celebrated on a grand scale at the AU Convention Hall in Vizag, with the participation of over 2,000 athletes. He assured that the government pledges to provide all necessary facilities.
“Sports quota appointments will be handled with complete transparency. Of the 421 posts earmarked for sports candidates under the Mega DSC, over 870 applications were found to be backed by fake certificates. Strict action will be taken against both athletes who produce such certificates and the associations that issue them,” Ravi Naidu warned.
He congratulated athletes, coaches, SAAP officials and staff for the successful conduct of the event, which was attended by HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh, along with several other sports dignitaries. “For the first time, SAAP introduced the Amaravati Championship, a state-level competition held under the National Sports Day banner, which saw participation from 24,121 athletes. Our goal is to expand this to 3 lakh next year,” Ravi Naidu said.
He also lauded Tampa-based NRI Yadlapalli Rakesh for adopting national-level weightlifter S Venugopal from NTR district for two years under the P-4 policy. “I appeal to other NRIs to come forward and extend similar support to athletes in Andhra Pradesh,” he said.