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Young World
Champs in the making
J. R. SHRIDHARAN
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On-field sporting prowess was displayed at Kethanadonda recently.
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PHOTO: CH. VIJAYA BHASKAR
Raring to go: Kids at the meet
Kethanadonda, a little known village 30 kilometres from Vijayawada, was abuzz with athletic activities at CBR Sports School grounds recently, as hundreds of teenage athletes, all below fourteen years of age, coming from various districts in Andhra Pradesh, showcased their on-field sporting prowess.
The two-day Andhra Pradesh Sub-Junior Athletic Meet for boys and girls had around 800 of them participate.
The school, in a significant manner is laying equal emphasis on sports and academics. The aim of C.B.R. Prasad, chairman of the school, is to produce an Olympian from the school.Mr. Prasad had promised, for the next academic year, free education, boarding, lodging, training and exposure trips to those who won the first four places in all events in the meet. The response was overwhelming, as many teenagers expressed their desire to join the school from the next year.
Khammam athletes won three titles - under-14 boys title, under-12 and under-14 girls honours. “We saw at the meet some of the best middle and short-distance runners who are in the making. The best of the performances came from athletes trained at AP Sports Schools in Hyderabad, Kadapa, Nellore and Karimnagar.
Both the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) should concentrate on the cream of talent in this age group, as they will be the future champions,” felt SAI athletic coach Vinayak Prasad.
For quality sports
Incidentally, these sports schools came into operation only two years ago, with an aim to developing quality athletes at the grass roots level. He also hailed the role of the Singareni Collieries Club at Kothagudem in helping these young athletes to hone their skills.
“One of the reasons for Khammam athletes performing well in this meet was due to the role played by the club. Many senior athletes are passionately involved in coaching and training the rookie talent and the result was quite evident, as Khammam won three titles. The role of the parents is also laudable,” Mr. Vinayak Prasad said. He said stringent measures were taken to weed out over-aged athletes in the meet.
But these teenagers, unfortunately, could not, participate in national- level events, as the Athletic Federation of India (AFI) does not organise sub-junior national events.
“It is time the AFI introduced the sub- junior nationals, as it will give coaches and administrators an opportunity to identify the best of the country’s young talent,” Mr. Vinayak Prasad felt.
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