The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Another feather in NTR Stadium’s cap

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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Another feather in NTR Stadium’s cap

J. R. Shridharan

Modern gym at the stadium very famous in the town
A children’s park developed in front of indoor stadium

GUDIVADA: NTR Stadium here is now sporting a new look with the first floor having been transformed into a dormitory to take care of the lodging facilities of sportspersons. This has come as a major relief to sports associations, which often face the major challenge of finding suitable accommodation for players and administrators during conduct of tournaments.

“We have constructed 12 rooms along with a dining hall and a store room. The approximate budget earmarked was Rs. 17 lakhs, but the project was completed with Rs. 13.24 lakhs,” said NTR Stadium Committee joint secretary Potluri Gangadhar, speaking to The Hindu on Friday.

Dormitory

The dormitory, which was inaugurated a couple of days ago, has come in handy for basketball players who gathered from all over the State for the ongoing 23rd AP State Youth Championship. The dormitory is expected to be even more useful as the stadium committee is keen on opening Sports Training Centres of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), for which it has already submitted proposals for volleyball, badminton, athletics, kho kho and kabaddi. The indoor stadium housing the gymnasium is now equipped with modern motorised treadmill, electric cycle and other gadgets to help the 250-odd youngsters to stay fit. “The latest accessories have been bought for Rs. 9 lakhs. This gymnasium is very famous in the town, as it is well-maintained and has quality equipment,” said Venkateswara Rao, weightlifting coach. “We get around Rs. 25,000 per month from the customers who use the gym,” said manager A.V. Subrahmanyam. The committee has also developed a children’s park in front of the indoor stadium for recreation. “This is a favourite spot for around 200 children who visit it every day,” he said.

Mr. Gangadhar said the committee had also sent a proposal to the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh to post coaches for skating, athletics, volleyball, kho kho and kabaddi. “Right now, we’re having coaches for gymnastics, badminton, cricket, karate, basketball and weightlifting. We need more coaches to popularise other games. In fact, the surrounding mandals and villages can get the benefit from the NTR Stadium, if it is equipped well with experienced coaches,” he observed.

The committee has also laid a skating rink close to the basketball court at a cost of Rs 6.50 lakhs. The stadium, spread on a 10.2-acre site, is the brainchild of former Chief Minister late N. T. Rama Rao, who spent his childhood in the town and even represented it in the Assembly. The stadium has a 400-metre athletic track, seven volleyball courts, two cricket nets, two kho kho courts and a court each for kabaddi, badminton, tennikoit and basketball.

It is considered the second best in Krishna district, after the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium in Vijayawada.

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