VIJAYAWADA: Minister for Transport and Sports Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy said the State government is committed to make Andhra Pradesh a leader in the sports sector by prioritising infrastructure development across cities, towns and villages over the next three years on Wednesday.
He attended as chief guest for the foundation stone ceremony for the development and renovation of the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation (IGMC) Stadium in Vijayawada, taken up with funds under the Khelo India initiative.
Addressing the media on the occasion, the minister said the project would be executed in three phases at an estimated cost of Rs 160-170 crore.
Of this, Rs 20 crore each would be contributed by Khelo India and the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP), while the remaining funds would be mobilised through the State government and municipal administration. He noted that long-pending sports development works had regained momentum, with projects already initiated in Guntur and plans to begin works in Srikakulam soon.
Ramprasad Reddy expressed confidence that the State would receive nearly Rs 1,000 crore in central assistance for sports infrastructure, with over Rs 100 crore expected in the second phase. He affirmed full government support for conducting the Andhra Premier League across Amaravati and Kadapa.
MP Kesineni Sivanath said Vijayawada is witnessing rapid growth and that enhanced sports facilities are being developed in cities like Visakhapatnam, Tirupati and Vijayawada. He added that plans are underway to establish a sports city over 2,500 acres in Amaravati, along with a sports university, and to host the National Games by 2029.
SAAP Chairman Animini Ravi Naidu said the stadium would be upgraded to host international-level events, with visible transformation expected within a year. The programme was attended by SAAP Chairman Animini Ravi Naidu, Vijayawada MP Kesineni Sivanth and others.