Neerukonda (Guntur district): Former Olympian and president of Indian Olympic Association Padma Shri PT Usha emphasised the significance of a national-level sports fest and stated, “Sports have a profound role in shaping character.

It is a journey of discipline, persistence and resilience and instills the spirit of never giving up in the face of adversity.”

She inaugurated the national-level Sports Fest-UDGAM 25 organised by SRM-AP by lighting of the Olympic torch here on Thursday marking the start of the three-day fest.

Sporting legends like Jessie Raj, retired army officer Vara Prasad Reddy and Akula Hyma were felicitated as part of the festival. UDGAM 2025 is set to witness more than 40 competitions with more than 2,000 students and a promising prize pool of over Rs 10 lakh.

Registrar Dr R Premkumar; Director I/C Sports and Director-Campus Life Management Anup Singh Suryavanshi, Assistant Director-Sports, Dr Sushmita Kumari, the faculty, staff and students were also present.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Manoj K Arora wished all the participants to engage wholeheartedly and embody the true spirit of sportsmanship.

Students of VIT-AP; Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Vignan University; KL University, Mohan Babu University, Lakireddy Bali Reddy College of Engineering (LBRCE), Seshadri Rao Gudlavalleru Engineering College among many others are participating in the sports fest. The fest will feature individual events, team sports and e-sports along with various track and field events for both men and women.

Assistant Director-Sports Dr Sushmita Kumari said that UDGAM is a forum that does not just test skills but helps embody the qualities that define great individuals.