Vijayawada: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will participate in the concluding ceremony of the Aadudam Andhra and give away prizes to the winners, in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday.
The Chief Minister would go to PM Palem YSR Cricket Stadium to watch the final cricket match. Later, he would address the players and present prizes to the winners.
Launched by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy on December 26, 2023, Aadudam Andhra has fostered a culture of healthy living among the youth while offering them a platform to exhibit their skills and talents, officials noted.
“The YSRC government launched the mega tournament Aadudam Andhra with the objectives of creating awareness at the grassroots level about the importance of physical activity and health, sharpening the talent of young sportspersons in rural and urban areas, and producing sporting heroes for the nation,” the Chief Minister had stated.
He added, “To instill sportsmen spirit, to encourage healthy lifestyle through sports, to unearth hidden sporting gems and make them shine in national and international arena, the state government has conducted massive sports endeavours spanning from village/ ward secretariat level to state level.”
Sports minister, R.K. Roja, said the Jagananna government would identify talented sportspersons through the Andhra Cricket Association as also associations of various sports disciplines and franchises like Pro Kabaddi, Black Hawks Volleyball, Chennai Super Kings (CSK), and will provide them with quality training, enabling them to participate in national and international competitions.
She said a total of 25,40,972 sports persons participated in this sports extravaganza across the state. Of these, 17,59,263 were male and 7,81,709 female. Some 80 lakh spectators watched the competitions.
Roja said the state government provided sports kits worth about `37 crore, cash prizes of over `12 crore and many other attractive prizes to the sportspersons.
The 50-day sporting extravaganza spanned the entire state from village/ward secretariat level to the state level. “From now on, every year, the Aadudam Andhra will be held with the slogan of Idi Andhari Aata (sports of all). Under the Aadudam Andhra initiative, the state government organised a total of 3.30 lakh matches at the village/ward secretariat levels, 1.24 lakh matches at the mandal level, 7,346 matches at the constituency level, 1,731 matches at the district level, and 260 matches at the state level “to make our sportspersons shine at national and international levels,” Roja said.
Andhra Pradesh's cricket sensation K.S. Bharat emphasized, "Like education, sports also builds courage and confidence in our youth. Aadudam Andhra, therefore, stands out as a beacon of opportunity for the youngsters, bridging the gap between ambition and achievement."
"Aadudam Andhra is like a bridge for our youngsters to chase their dreams, and I truly believe they'll see those dreams come true someday," Bharat added.
