Vijayawada: Vijayawada MP and Andhra Cricket Association (ACA) president Kesineni Sivanath (Chinni) announced that a sports university would be established in Amaravati which would be a ‘jewel in the crown’ of Andhra Pradesh. He said the initiative is part of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s vision to transform the state into ‘Kreeda Andhra Pradesh.’

The MP, along with Vijayawada East MLA Gadde Ramamohan and Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) chairman Animini Ravi Naidu, formally inaugurated the Yonex–Sunrise 78th Inter-State Badminton Championship–2025 at the Chennupati Ramakotaiah Municipal Corporation Indoor Stadium in Patamata, Vijayawada, on Monday.

Organised by the Andhra Pradesh Badminton Association (APBA), the tournament is being held over two days, concluding on December 23. The 87th Senior National Badminton Championship will take place from December 24 to 28.

Sivanath spoke of the ongoing efforts by SAAP to bring more national-level sporting events to Andhra Pradesh and expressed hope that the National Games would be hosted in the state in the future. He thanked the AP Badminton Association and its secretary, Dr P Ankam Choudary, for bringing the prestigious championship to Vijayawada, and commended the Municipal Corporation and organizing committees for their swift arrangements. He also announced that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has agreed to attend the closing ceremony.

The proposed sports university in Amaravati, Sivanath said, would not only train athletes but also develop coaches and sports professionals, positioning Andhra Pradesh as a hub of sporting excellence. He said the ongoing modernisation of the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium in Vijayawada and the development of sports infrastructure across the state, including the allocation of land for a new stadium in Tirupati.

MLA Gadde Ramamohan remarked that hosting the national championship has brought vibrancy to Vijayawada and recalled the Chief Minister’s significant contributions to sports infrastructure, including the Sports Village in Hyderabad during his previous tenure. SAAP chairman Ravi Naidu noted that the senior national badminton championship is being held in Andhra Pradesh after a decade and credited the NDA government for prioritizing sports development.

Star shuttler and Olympic medallist P V Sindhu, Swachh Andhra Corporation chairman Kommareddy Pattabhiram, SAAP vice-chairman and managing director S Bharani, AP Badminton Association president Dwarakanath, former Mayor Koneru Sridhar, SAAP director Santosh and members of the AP and Krishna district badminton associations the programme.