VIZIANAGARAM: While most people his age embrace a quiet retirement, 73-year-old Rao Srinivasa Rao is still hitting the playground every day before sunrise to give free training to youths who wish to join the defence, police and other armed forces in Bobbili. He has dedicated the last 53 years of his life to a single mission: to provide free physical training to rural youth to help them secure stable careers. He has mentored more than 10,000 young aspirants till today, sharpening their skills for recruitment in the defence forces, police, armed forces and the recent Agnipath scheme. Therefore, he is affectionately called by locals as the “Bobbili Dronacharya”.
Rao Srinivasa Rao, who hails from a middle-class family in Anavaram village under Badangi mandal, was born on April 14, 1953 and brought up in Bobbili under Vizianagaram district.
He started his journey as an athlete in his school days in 400 meters, 1500 meters, 5 km, 10 km, half marathon and marathon, where his natural talent for sports led him to the national stage. Though he won several state medals as an amateur athlete with his hard work, he failed to continue his journey in national-level athletics tournaments due to a lack of proper guidance. Therefore, the district administration selected him as a Sericulture Assistant in 1985 under the sports quota. Later, he went as a panchayat secretary in 2002 on deputation and retired from service in 2011.
Rao has participated in various state, national and international masters athletic tournaments while working as a government employee. He won a special award at the 2003 World Masters Athletics in Malaysia and secured second place at the 2019 Masters Athletics competition, also in Malaysia. Rao served as a member of the 2002 Olympic Games. He travelled across the district under the Akshara Jagruthi initiative, promoting the dual importance of literacy and physical education in 1994.
Rao Srinivasa Rao established the Bobbili Sports Club to provide free training to youths for athletics and to youngsters who wanted to join the police, defence and other armed forces. He has been giving training to youngsters in athletics, including high jump, long jump and sprinting and team sports, including hockey, kho-kho, kabaddi, basketball and tennis. Rao’s whistle still echoes across the grounds every morning and evening, where over 100 youth gather daily to learn under his watchful eye, even after his professional retirement. The impact of Rao’s selfless service is best heard through the voices of his students, many of whom travel from neighbouring towns to train with him.
He has mentored more than 10,000 young aspirants till today, sharpening their skills for recruitment in the defence forces, police, armed forces and the recent Agnipath scheme. Hundreds of youths who trained under Rao’s mentorship have been recruited in the police, RPF, CRPF, SSC, BSF, CISF, Indian Army, Indian Navy, Indian Air Force and the recent Agnipath scheme. Therefore, the residents of Bobbili, as well as his disciples, affectionately call him the “Bobbili Dronacharya”.
Speaking to TNIE, amateur athlete Bhaskara Rao said, “I have moved from Rajam and rented a room in Bobbili just to train under him. His guidance has helped me grow immensely as an athlete.”
“I missed out on a constable post by a narrow margin in the past. Now I am training for Agnipath. I have full confidence that his coaching in high jump and running will get me through this time,” Venkataramana told TNIE. Speaking to TNIE, Rao Srinivasa Rao said, “There is no retirement for doing good to society. For me, the reward isn’t in medals or money. It is in seeing the youth of my village trade uncertainty for a uniform and a future.”