The Hindu : Sport : Overwhelming response to MCH camps

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 21, 2005

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Sport - Sports : General

Overwhelming response to MCH camps

Sports Reporter

HYDERABAD: The month-long free summer coaching camps in 49 disciplines, organised by Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad in about 700 centres in twin cities, drew a record response with about 50,000 boys and girls joining them.

A visit to the Victory PG where boys and girls from five to 18 years are being trained in 18 disciplines provides a good indication of this.

Officials had to stop accepting entries within two days of commencement of the exercise, which has an outlay of about Rs.2 crore.

According to Vandana Kumar, Additional Commissioner of MCH (Sports) who inspected the camps along with a group of mediapersons on Friday morning, this year the officials have decided to identify talent in the age group of eight to 14 and ensure long-term training for them in their respective zones.

Interacting with some of the trainees at the NTR Pavilion Grounds near Indira Park, Kumar promised to return to the venue with better facilities as quite a few plans were chalked out to capitalise on the unprecedented interest from the nearby colonies.

"This is a unique ground in the heart of City with such a huge playfield. And we will make our best efforts to improve them," he told the 40-oddd shooters as the MCH has introduced shooting and kick-boxing for the first time in it's schedule.

The scene at the swimming pool at Secunderabad was no different as enthusiastic kids were enjoying a stint in the water to beat the scorching heat. It is also informed that two more pools at Vijayanagar Colony and Ameerpet will be added to the list of facilities of MCH. The Additional Commissioner also said the MCH was open to any suggestions from the general public even while expecting full commitment from the 720 coaches employed for the camps. To ensure there is competitive interest, Inter-centre tournaments were already started and this is where we expect the Association coaches and our own staff to identify talent and groom it, Kumar said.

S.R. Prem Raj, Director of Sports, MCH, informed that for the first time all individual winners in various events were being given kit bags besides merit certificates. The valedictory functions of the camps will be held cricle-wise from May 25 to 28 at Quli Qutub Shah Stadium, Red Hills Playground, Maredpally PG and Victory PG, he said.

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