Vijayawada: Amalapuram MP Harish Balayogi, Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) chairman Animini Ravi Naidu and Srikalahasti MLA Bojjala Sudhir Reddy met Union minister of youth affairs and sports Mansukh Mandaviya at the Parliament House in New Delhi on Tuesday and appealed to him to release Khelo India funds to Andhra Pradesh to develop facilities for promoting sports in the state.
Submitting a memorandum to the Union minister to that effect, Harish Balayogi appealed to him to provide funds through Khelo India programme as a grant-in-aid to establish a tribal sports school at Vizianagaram. He pointed out that several youth hostels across Andhra Pradesh are in a dilapidated condition and became useless. He urged the Centre to construct youth hostels in all the 26 districts of AP and Nehru Yuva Kendra may be given instructions to that effect.
SAAP chairman Ravi Naidu pleaded for release of funds through Khelo India to provide facilities like athletic track, grass football field, indoor and outdoor facilities at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium in Vijayawada.
Likewise, national centre of sports excellence for canoeing, kayaking and wrestling could be established at Tirupati. Similar national sports excellence centres could be established at Kakinada and Acharya Nagarjuna University in Guntur.
He recalled that the state had already submitted proposals to set up sports facilities with Rs 237 crore of Khelo India funds in Andhra Pradesh.
The Union minister responded positively and assured that he would take up plan of action soon.
