Exempt Yoga sport from 'pay and play' scheme: Yoga Sports Association

Kurnool: State Yoga Sports Association (YSA) general secretary M Avinash Shetty urged the government to exempt Yoga sport from the pay and play scheme introduced by the state sports authority. Regarding the issue the general secretary submitted a representation to the chairman of State Sports Authority Byreddy Siddartha Reddy and Kurnool MLA M A Hafeez Khan on Wednesday.

Later speaking to media persons, Avinash said that the state sporty authority has hiked the admission fee and monthly fee on yoga sport. According to the new norm, the students up to age of 14 years have to pay Rs 1,000 towards admission and Rs 500 towards monthly fee. And the students above the age of 15 years must pay Rs 2,000 towards admission and Rs 1,000 towards monthly fee, said Avinash.

Earlier, he said Rs 40 was being collected towards admission and Rs 20 monthly to the children up to the age of 14 years and Rs 50 admission and Rs 30 monthly fee to the children above the age of 15 years. If the fee is hiked to that extent then there are very few chances of children joining the Yoga sport, Avinash said. Yoga has now become an international sport. Almost all countries across the globe are actively practicing the Yoga sport. India is the country which has introduced the sport to all countries. If the fees are hiked, the children of our country would be forced to drop practicing Yoga. He urged the authorities concerned to take revoke the decision immediately and continue the earlier one.

Responding to the representation given by the state general secretary, the sports authority chairman Byreddy Siddartha Reddy has assured that fees would not be collected. He said the government was more interested in promoting the sports among people. It has provided a big platform to the sports to encourage sportsmen, said Byreddy Siddartha Reddy.