Sports help youth achieve goals : CM

Olympic Day Run flagged off; Two girls suffer fractures in stampede at the run

Visakhapatnam: Activities of sports and games would help youth achieve goals and targets in life and so youth should participate in all sports activities to keep physical and mental health, observed Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy.

Mr Reddy, who was here at the Andhra University Engineering College Grounds on Sunday to flag off the Olympic Day Run-13 organised by the District Olympic Association, in his brief address said that sports would also help people feel both success and failures equally in their life. He called upon the youth to follow the concept of 'keeping good physical and mental health' throughout the life and congratulated the District Olympic Association representatives Harshavardhan and Adari Kishore Kumar, senior citizens, women, youth, college and school students and little kids and members of various sports associations for actively participating in the Olympic Day Run-13.

Later, the Chief Minister flagged off the Run where Minister of State for Commerce and Industry D Purandeswari, Rajya Sabha member T Subbarami Reddy, actor Ramcharan Teja, Ministers Raghuveera Reddy, Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Kondru Murali, Pithani Satyanarayana, Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal, Andhra University Vice-Chancellor Prof. GSN Raju, Government Whip Dronamraju Srinivas, MLAs Chintalapudi Venkatramaiah, Panchakarla Rameshbabu, Tynala Vijay Kumar, Avanthi Srinivasa Rao, MLCs Suryanarayana Raju and Gade Srinivasulu Naidu, Collector V Seshadri, Joint Collector Praveen Kumar, Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA) vice-chairman N Yuvaraj, Commissioner of Police B Sivadhar Reddy, Municipal Commissioner MV Satyanarayana and City Congress Mahila president Pedada Ramani Kumari were present.

Soon after the convoy of Chief Minister left the venue, the organisers allowed the Olympic Run participants at a time, which resulted in a stampede in which two girls suffered fractures. A private lensman was also injured in the melee. The police officials and organisers had a tough time controlling the crowds. The big welcome arch at the entry point and the barricades were damaged. On witnessing the stampede and jostling, many of the irate women participants stayed away from the participation and questioned who will be responsible if any casualty occurs. They further charged that the organisers have failed in providing basic amenities and separate queue lines for the Run.

The Run culminated into a public meeting at Kalimatha temple on the Rama Krishna Beach Road in which more than one lakh people took part. As part of the brief valedictory address, Mr Ganta Srinivasa Rao said people of Vizag have brought special world recognition for Vizag with the Olympic Day Run-13. He thanked all the participants and actor Ramcharan for their involvement adding that the Chief Minister, who himself is a sportsman, participated in the function despite his busy schedule. He announced that they proposed to build an Olympic Bhavan in the city for which they would provide a site and asked the district Association to construct the building. "An aerial record of the Run was also done and I hope it will enter the Guinness Book of World Records," he added.

Referring to the minor disturbance at the starting point, he said the stampede was due to the overwhelming response from the participants. Earlier, the Chief Minister, who arrived here by Air India flight at 8.20 am on a two-day visit to Visakhapatnam and East Godavari districts, was given a warm welcome at the airport by the Union Minister, State Ministers, MP, legislators, Council members, officials, party leaders and activists, GVMC Additional Commissioner M Janaki, DCCB chairman U Sukumara Varma and District Grandhalaya Samstha chairman Thota Nagesh. Minister Pithani Satyanarayana accompanied the Chief Minister from Hyderabad. After meeting the officials and non-officials, the Chief Minister interacted with the party activists for some time before leaving for AU Engineering College Grounds to flag off the Olympic Day Run.