Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu’s Marathon promise: Will strengthen sports infra in State

VIJAYAWADA: Before the crack of the dawn, on Sunday, when the temperature was around 15 degrees Celsius and the streets of Vijayawada were still enveloped in fog, the Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation Stadium (IGMCS) came alive as thousands of fitness enthusiasts, runners and citizens gathered to participate in Amaravati Marathon- 2018. And exactly at 5.45 am, as soon as the event was flagged off, the participants raced for the finish line. The third edition of the annual event, organisers claimed, had 8,000 people participating in it.

While the numbers quoted may be well over the actual figures, people from cities like Kolkata, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, etc., participated in 5K, 10K and 21K (half marathon) categories. The runners took the route to CM’s residence in Undavalli from IGMCS.

Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, who participated in the concluding ceremony held at IGMCS, said that the state government would strengthen the sports facilities across the 13 districts. He said that his aim was to host Olympics in Amaravati one day.

“The sports infrastructure will be developed in cities, towns and villages. We will also ensure that national and international sporting events are conducted in the state,” he said and added that his government would help in producing more sports champions from Andhra Pradesh. He further added that CRDA and Tourism departments would work together to create a calender year to host various tournaments in the scenic places of the state.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister said that his government had started 10K Hyderabad Marathon 23 years ago.

“It stands second in the country now. Amaravati Marathon too is getting global recognition. By the third edition itself, we got 7,500 participants. I congratulate the organisers who are also conducting the event in Tirupati and Visakhapatnam,” he said.

Later, he gave away prizes worth Rs 20 lakh to the winners in various categories. “More than the prizes, the marathon is about fitness. If one is fit, they will be happy. Happiness is an important factor for state’s development,” he concluded.

While Water Resources Minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao flagged off the run, Principal Secretary, Sports and Youth Affairs, LV Subramanyam, Mayor Koneru Sridhar, Municipal Commissioner J Nivas, City Police Commissioner Gautam Sawang, Chairperson of  Andhra Pradesh Women’s Co-operative Finance Corporation Ltd Panchumarti Anuradha and others were present.