VIJAYAWADA: Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) is reaching out to national and State selection committees and associations to hunt for talent for the upcoming Aadudam Andhra programme.
The sports body has written letters to numerous organisations, urging them to identify talent from the village to the State-level. In response to SAAP’s call, a few organisations have expressed their readiness to participate in the programme and have even committed to send scouts for the talent hunt.
A pivotal component of Aadudam Andhra, the talent hunt will be conducted by authorities of SAAP and the scouts from collaborating franchises, further adding an extra layer of expertise to the selection process.
Chennai Super Kings, Pro Kabaddi League, Prime Volleyball League, badminton champion PV Sindhu, State associations for cricket, badminton, Kho-Kho, Kabaddi and volleyball have confirmed that they would collaborate with the sports body, SAAP assistant director S Venkata Ramana told TNIE.
Additionally, discussions are underway with Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad, urging them to send their scouts. Officials hope that players who participate in Aadudam Andhra might find an opportunity to take part in the upcoming seasons of IPL (Indian Premier League), PKL (Pro Kabaddi League), and PVL (Prime Volleyball League) if they perform well during the Aadudam Andhra events.
The State government has invited registrations for tournaments in five sports from across all the villages in the State.
Elaborating on the schedule for the programme, Venkata Ramana said events will be organised for over 18 days at the village-level, eight days at the mandal-level, six days at the constituency-level, seven days at the district-level, and six days at the State-level.
She pointed out that events would also be conducted in non-competitive traditional sports such as skipping, tokkudu billa, karra billa, kundudu gumma, etc. “The aim is to instil confidence not only in young children, but also among adults. That will be the real enjoyment,” she opined.