Hyderabad: There are 12 sportspersons from the State representing India at the upcoming Asian Games in Indonesia and the Sports Authority of Telangana State (SATS) is overjoyed. On Saturday, chairman Allipuram Venkateshwar Reddy went into an overdrive as he spoke about the State’s sporting success.
Rashmi Rathore (rifle shooting), Mohamed Husamuddin (boxing), Saina Nehwal, N. Sikki Reddy, B. Sai Praneeth, Sumeeth Reddy and Gayatri Gopichand (badminton) Budda Aruna Reddy and Meghana Reddy (gymnastics), Dutee Chand (athletics), Ismail Baig (rowing coach) and T Sai Kumar (Indian rowing team physio) were listed by the SATS as sportspersons from the State who would don national colours at the August-September Continental event to be held in Indonesia.
As a huge pointer to the inherent regional division, shuttle aces P. V. Sindhu and Srikanth Kidambi – who live in Hyderabad and train here – were left out apparently because Sindhu (though born and brought up in Hyderabad) is employed with the Andhra Pradesh government while Srikanth hails from Guntur.
However, going by the SATS scale, the same did not apply to Odisha athlete Dutee Chand who trains in Hyderabad under coach Nagapuri Ramesh.
Nevertheless, gymnast Aruna was felicitated as she was the only one available in the City (the rest where training or playing elsewhere the SATS chairman said). “I will strive to win laurels for the state... vow to give out my best at the competitions and come up with a good show,” she said.
Prompted, she added: “Thanks to the Chief Minister’s cash reward of Rs 2 crore (after she won the World Cup bronze earlier this year) I was able to afford better training.”
SATS chairman Reddy took over. “I am happy that a dozen from the State will be at the Asian Games. We are striving to develop sport in the State and have been successful in getting a funding of Rs 1 crore a month as excise cess for the same,” he said.
“As regards two per cent reservation in government jobs for sportspersons, the GAD is yet to issue the notification, we will certainly push for it,” he added.
