Andhra Pradesh's upcoming sports policy will be best in country: CM Naidu

Amaravati, Nov 4 (PTI) Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu announced on Monday that Andhra Pradesh’s upcoming sports policy will be the best in the country with a substantial increase in cash prizes for future sports medallists.

During a review of the policy at the secretariat, which aims to make sports accessible to all sections of society, the chief minister stated that Andhra Pradesh’s policy would surpass those of other states.

"To transform the state into a sports hub, the policy has been designed with four mission objectives: sports for all, natural talent, sports ecosystem, and global visibility," an official statement said.

With these four mission objectives, the policy seeks to make sports accessible to everyone, identify talent, provide world-class training, support athletes, ensure job security, collaborate with the private sector, and host national and international events.

The government has decided to increase the sports quota in public employment from 2 per cent to 3 per cent and introduce a similar quota in uniformed services.

Additionally, the state has significantly raised the monetary awards for prospective medal winners. Under the new policy, an Olympic gold medalist will receive a cash prize of Rs 7 crore, up from the current Rs 75 lakh, while an Asian Games gold medalist will receive Rs 4 crore, among other rewards.

Similarly, a national games gold medalist will be awarded Rs 10 lakh, and a national school games gold medalist will receive Rs 2.5 lakh, along with other cash prizes.

Moreover, Olympic and Asian Games medalists will be offered Group-I jobs.

According to the chief minister, sports should encompass more than just cricket, and he urged officials to promote various sports, especially given Andhra Pradesh’s rich natural resources like its coastline, hills, and forests.

He emphasised the promotion of activities such as mountain biking, water sports, nature photography, and trekking. PTI STH SSK KH