Telangana Sports Hub decides to bid for Khelo India, Commonwealth Games, Olympics

Hyderabad: Sports Hub of Telangana adopted key resolutions aimed at placing the state on the global sporting map.

In its inaugural meeting held on Thursday, the Hub decided to bid for mega events like Khelo India, Commonwealth Games, and Olympics, form sub-committees for stadium maintenance and training, prepare three-year action plans for coaches and athletes, and ensure effective implementation of the Telangana Sports Policy.

CM’s vision for Hyderabad as Sports Capital

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who chaired the meeting of the Board of Governors, said his dream is to replicate Telangana’s IT culture in sports. “I want Hyderabad to be the first choice for international sporting events and for every family in Telangana to nurture sporting aspirations for their children,” he said.

He highlighted that the state’s sports budget has been increased 16 times, incentives are being extended to medal winners, government jobs are being provided to achievers, and the Young India Sports University has been established to strengthen the talent pipeline.

Addressing gaps in Coaching

The CM acknowledged that despite world-class facilities, Telangana faces a shortage of coaches. He urged the Board to devise a three-year plan to train coaches to international standards, stressing that “facilities alone cannot deliver results without quality coaching.”

Suggestions from Sports Icons

The meeting saw spirited participation from sporting legends and administrators:

Kapil Dev: Make sports compulsory at the school level, taking Haryana’s wrestling model as an example.

Abhinav Bindra: Appoint physical education teachers and directors in every school.

Pullela Gopichand: Conduct phase-wise competitions from the village level upwards.

Bhaichung Bhutia: Introduce league systems across multiple sports, on the lines of England.

Ravikanth Reddy: Ensure optimum use of existing sports facilities.

Others pitched diverse suggestions. Upasana Konidela called for physiotherapy courses in the sports curriculum and tax cuts on equipment; Papa Rao wanted university coaches on par with IIT faculty; Vita Dani pressed for sports literacy at the school level.

Chinta Sashidhar recommended supplying advanced equipment to elite athletes, and Dr Sanjiv Goenka urged the involvement of global executives from Telangana in shaping the ecosystem.

Government and Board Members Back Initiative

The meeting was also attended by Minister Srihari Vakati, Special Chief Secretary Jayesh Ranjan, SATG Chairman Shiva Sena, SATG VC & MD Sonibala Devi, apart from corporate representatives, sportspersons, and administrators. Together, they pledged to work towards making Telangana a preferred global destination for sports.