HYDERABAD: Sports and Tourism Minister V Srinivas Goud on Thursday felicitated 24 athletes who won 35 medals in 15 disciplines in the two-day International Masters Athletics Championship held in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur from December 3.
During his speech, the minister made a special mention about the achievements of 85-year-old Anjareddy won three gold medals in shot put, discus and javelin and 80-year-old Chintala Mallareddy who bagged a silver medal in discus throw, and said that they are an inspiration to the youth.
He said that Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has initiated several programmes for the development of sports in the State, under which sports grounds and other facilities are being developed in around 9,500 villages.
The State government is also in the process of formulating a special sports policy in the State, which will serve as a model for the rest of the country, he added.The minister also said that the government has been providing job opportunities to the sportsperson by allocating two per cent reservation for them.