Amaravati Championships in 10 Disciplines Start in Tirupati

 Tirupati: Sporting fervour has gripped the temple town of Tirupati with the state-level Amaravati Championships 2025 starting at the Tarakarama Stadium on Sunday. Over 1,300 athletes from across Andhra Pradesh will be competing in 10 disciplines, leading up to the National Sports Day on August 29

Sports minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy inaugurated the event along with district collector Dr. S. Venkateswar in the presence of Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) chairman A. Ravi Naidu, SAAP managing director P.S. Girisha and director E. Rajani.

Addressing the gathering of sportspersons, the minister reiterated that the state government is committed to transforming Andhra Pradesh into a sporting hub. He underlined that sports found a strong foothold in the state during the earlier tenures of N. Chandrababu Naidu as the Chief Minister of AP. “The seeds sown then are now helping athletes excel at the national and international levels,” he underlined.

Ramprasad Reddy pointed out that under the New Sports Policy, a playground will be developed in every village. Students will be encouraged to excel in sports right from the school level. “450 posts have been reserved for athletes in the upcoming teacher recruitment drive,” he disclosed.

In this regard, he recalled Education minister Nara Lokesh’s reforms to make both academics and sports part of a student’s life.

The minister said winners of the Amaravati Championships 2025 will be felicitated by Chandrababu Naidu at the National Sports Day celebrations in Visakhapatnam on August 29.

Speaking on the occasion, collector Venkateswar said it was a proud moment for Tirupati to host the state-level championship with athletes competing across 10 disciplines, including archery, boxing, athletics, volleyball, basketball, hockey, kabaddi, kho-kho and badminton.

SAAP MD Girisha pointed out that the Amaravati Championships have already been held over the past 10 days at the district and zonal levels. These have culminated into the state-level championships in Tirupati. He underlined that prize money is being given to winners for the first time to give a strong boost to young talent.

SAAP chairman Ravi Naidu explained that the National Sports Day is celebrated on August 29 throughout the country in memory of hockey legend Dhyan Chand. He thanked the state government for releasing funds and district administration for its support in organising the championships at Tirupati.