Tarun Kakani, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Vijayawada-based Amaravati Boating Club, has been nominated as a member of the Talent Identification Zonal Committee for South Zone (Rowing) of the Khelo India Identification Programme, by the Sports Authority of India (SAI).
Khelo India is an initiative of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.
The south zone covers the States of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. Mr. Tarun’s role would entail identification of grassroots talent by using appropriate methods and non-competitions, to ensure updation of database on the National Sports Repository System (NSRS) and create ranking of athletes and identify and coach young talent in rowing, along with SAI coaches.
Mr. Tarun has also been appointed as National Executive member for the CSR and Marketing Committee of the Rowing Federation of India (RFI).
Mr. Tarun thanked the Ministry of Sports and the Rowing Federation of India for the recognition and said that soon, watersports like rowing, sailing, canoeing and kayaking would be promoted in coordination with the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP), Telangana, Tamil Naidu and SAI.
Informing that 1,000 Khelo India Centres would be set up across the country with one centre for every district, he said that in Andhra Pradesh, training academies would be established to promote watersports, in collaboration with SAAP.
Lauding the recent performance of the Indian rowing team at Tokyo Olympics 2020, he said that it was historic as for the first time, India had qualified for the semifinals in rowing under the men’s lightweight sculling and rowing category. Rowers Arjun Lal Jat and Aravind Singh under the coaching of Dronacharya Awardee Ismail Baig achieved this feat.
A.P. Rowing would be supported by doyens in coaching like Mr. Baig, who is a six-time Olympic coach, and national coach and captain V.V. Rao, both of whom belong to A.P..
Three time chairperson of Rowing Federation of India, Rajlaxmi Singh Deo, and founding member of RFI Col. C P Singh Deo congratulated Mr. Tarun and assured full support from RFI to promote watersports in Andhra Pradesh.
