SAAP initiates move to reopen sports academies

 Kakinada: The Sports Authority of AP (SAAP) has taken up measures to reopen various sports academies across the state, announced SAAP Board Member and Academies Committee member, Dronacharya Awardee A Ramana Rao.

The SAAP Academies Committee, comprising members A Ramana Rao, Peram Ravindranath, K Jagadeeshwari, and PBVSN Raju, visited the District Sports Authority (DSA) grounds here on Monday. The team inspected the available infrastructure and assessed additional facilities required for the proposed reopening of sports academies.

Addressing the media at the DSA office, Ramana Rao explained that the academies were shut down in 2019 due to the COVID crisis and shortage of funds.

As part of the plan, academies in Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Nellore, and Tirupati DSAs will be reopened. The committee is preparing a detailed report for SAAP, identifying which sports academies would be best suited for each location based on available resources and infrastructural needs.

To ensure quality training at par with national and international standards, SAAP has sought the state government’s approval to recruit 100 coaches across different disciplines. “Within a month, the academies will be reopened, covering training in 14 to 16 sporting disciplines. Indoor and outdoor facilities, hostels, kitchens, and dining halls will be arranged to provide training for nearly 150 sportspersons,” Rao said.

Meanwhile, DSA staff submitted a petition regarding salary cuts and pending dues. Committee members Ravindranath, Jagadeeshwari, and Bucchiraju assured that the matter would be taken up with SAAP. They also announced that the “Pay and Play” system will be scrapped to ensure training facilities are accessible to underprivileged athletes. DSDO Srinivasa Rao is also present at the meeting.