Telangana govt to formulate new sports policy, talks on with BCCI to set up cricket stadium

The proposed policy would be debated in the next session of the Legislative Assembly, the CM said, appreciating the policy being followed in Haryana to encourage sportspersons.

Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday said his government would formulate a new sports policy to promote sports in a big way.

The proposed policy would be debated in the next session of the Legislative Assembly, he said, appreciating the policy being followed in Haryana to encourage sportspersons.

The chief minister, who was speaking in the Assembly, said the state government has held preliminary talks with the BCCI on establishing an international level cricket stadium at Begari Kanche near here where the government is setting up a skill development university.

The government would allocate land and the BCCI is coming forward to build the cricket stadium, he said.

The chief minister was speaking during debate on an amendment bill to provide employment under Group-1 Services (Dy Superintendent of Police) to boxer Nikhat Zareen and cricketer Mohammed Siraj in appreciation of their outstanding performances at the international level.

The government is exempting the educational qualification for Siraj to provide him with the Group-1 Services job, he said.

Reddy said sports need to be promoted in a big way to prevent youth from getting addicted to bad habits.

He said the ecosystem developed in Hyderabad for sports is getting hurt, and the stadia built in the past are now being used more for non-sports purposes.

A special action plan is needed to improve things and the government would take steps to promote interest in sports among students, he said.

The government has allocated over Rs 361 crore in the budget for sports like never before, he said.

Responding to a proposal by the CPI, the chief minister said the government would have no objection to naming the Telugu University here after late freedom fighter, journalist and poet Suravaram Pratap Reddy if other parties agree to it. PTI SJR SJR KH