Parents Protest Fee Hike At Sports Centres
Parents in Hyderabad are protesting a steep coaching fee hike at government-run sports centres, demanding a rollback of fees from ₹150 to ₹960.
A delegation of parents met Dr Sonibala Devi, vice‑chairperson and managing director of the Sports Authority of Telangana, on Monday and gave a representation against the abnormal fee hike for coaching in city centres run by the government. Since then, parents of trainees have been staging a protest, urging the government to roll back the hike.
The delegation said she had assured them that the matter would be presented to the committee. She, however, reportedly asked the parents: “When you can pay the fee hike in the schools, why can’t you pay the same here?” This correspondent tried to reach Dr Devi but she was not available.
From the parents’ delegation, Ramesh Balija, whose parents are both in karate at LB Nagar, said: “A sudden hike from ₹150 to ₹960, how can middle‑class parents pay? All the parents approached the authorities to roll back this hike and save sports.”
The fee hike has affected several government‑run sports centres in the city, including LB Stadium, KVBR Indoor Stadium, Gymkhana, Saroornagar Stadium and Gachibowli Sports Complex.
Coaches mentioned that those who voiced opposition were sacked. They see this move as a government conspiracy to weaken prime centres and later hand them over to private contractors. They also pointed out that government centres are the grounds that nurture talent and produce world‑class players. If these centres act like money‑making institutions, the fate of sports in India will be bleak.
