Mahabubnagar: The rural sports complexes, known as Palle Kreeda Pranganalu, established with the aim of fostering athletic talent and encouraging sports among the youth in villages of the Palamuru region, have fallen into disuse. Despite significant investments running into lakhs of rupees, these facilities have been left abandoned, with bushes and shrubs overtaking the grounds, rendering them inaccessible and uninviting.
While some complexes near schools and urban centers see occasional use, most are located on the outskirts of villages and remain redundant. The lack of maintenance by village and mandal-level officials has left these facilities in a deplorable state, failing to achieve their intended purpose of nurturing rural sporting talent.
The initiative, launched by the previous BRS government, aimed to provide spaces for youth to practise sports like volleyball, badminton, football, hockey, and Kho-Kho. Equipment for physical exercises was also installed, with investments ranging from 2 to 3 lakh per village in erstwhile Mahabubnagar. However, less than 10% of these complexes are being utilized, with many now serving as dumping grounds or overgrown wastelands.
In Midjil mandal of Jadcherla constituency, for example, sports complexes were set up in 17 out of 24 gram panchayats. However, most of these are located in inconven-ient locations far from residential areas, making them inaccessible to the youth. A similar scenario is evident across Mahabubnagar district, where out of 316 revenue villages across 17 mandals, a majority of sports complexes are in disrepair.
Local residents and sports enthusiasts express frustration over the lack of upkeep. “The government’s vision to promote sports and athleticism among rural youth is commendable, but the absence of proper promotion and maintenance has turned these facilities into wasted investments,” said a local villager.
District Sports and Youth Welfare Officer Sudamala Srinivas emphasised that while the initiative was well-intentioned, maintaining the sports complexes is the responsi-bility of local village officials. “We oversee district-level sporting events and initiatives, but the upkeep of rural sports complexes falls under the jurisdiction of mandal and village-level authorities,” he explained. Srinivas also called for proactive efforts from the youth and local officials to rejuvenate these facilities and utilize them effectively.
The current state of these sports complexes highlights the urgent need for regular maintenance, community engagement, and better coordination between government officials and villagers. Without immediate action, the substantial investments made in these facilities will continue to go to waste, leaving rural youth deprived of opportuni-ties to develop their sporting talents.
