Sports City will soon be a reality: KTR

Hyderabad, Jan 13 (INN): Panchayat Raj Minister K Tarakarama Rao expressed confidence that the Sports City will soon become a reality.

Addressing a function, held by the GHMC to felicitate sports personalities, at the GHMC headquarters here on Tuesday, KTR said that the State Government was keen to establish a separate Sports City on the lines of Cinema City, Hitech City, etc.,

He said that the government would promote sports in the entire State of Telangana and support all the personalities associated with different sports.

The Minister praised the idea and concept of felicitating, honouring and helping the yesteryear sports personalities taken up by the GHMC. He reminded that the State Government has honoured several sports personalities on the occasion of last Independence Day.

He also informed that he would be discussing the matter related to honouring the yesteryear sports personalities in the State with the Minister for Sports and as well as Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao for taking up various programmes and schemes to help the sports persons.

KTR said that the government would involve all the famous sports personalities like Pullela Gopichand, Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal, Jwala Gutta and others to take up coaching which would help the upcoming sportsmen to get benefited and to get more laurels to the city and as well as the city. Responding to the request of Badminton star Pullela Gopichand for providing medical insurance cover to yesteryear sport personalities, the Minister said the proposal would be considered by the government.

The yesteryear sports personalities who were felicitated on Tuesday are Syed Abdul Salam(Olympian ' Football), Md. Zulfkaruddin (Olympian ' Football); I.S.H.H. Hamed (Olympian ' Football); K. Satyanarayana (International Hockey); Bir Bahadur (International Football); Dennis Swamy (Arjuna Awardee ' Boxing); AC Mallesham (National ' Kabaddi); Chandra Prakash Biradar (National Kho-Kho); Sameera Begum (International ' Tennikoit) and G. Vasudev Yadav (International Kabaddi).

In his speech, GHMC Commissioner & Special Officer Somesh Kumar said that the GHMC is honouring all those great players of yesteryears who have played a vital role in the last 40 to 50 years and brought glory to Hyderabad and as well as the country.

The Commissioner said that eminent yesteryear sports personalities would be given monthly pension ranging from Rs 7,500/- to Rs. 10,000/- in recognition of their contribution.

Pullela Gopichand praised the GHMC for the initiative. Olympic Association Member Jagadishwar Yadav too praised for the idea of felicitation to the yesteryear sports personalities and involving the Olympic Association for this purpose.

OSD to Sports SR Prem Raj proposed vote of thanks and thanked all the eminent sports personalities who participated in the programme.