Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the Aadudam Andhra sports event in Guntur. During the event, he played cricket and taught cricket skills to Minister for Tourism RK Roja. The tournament will run for 47 days from December 26, 2023 to February 10, 2024.
YS Jagan explained that the sports event aims to promote the health benefits of exercise and sports. He highlighted the importance of regular exercise in maintaining blood pressure and preventing type 2 diabetes. The State Government has implemented village clinics and family health doctor concepts to provide preventive care at the village level.
The Aadudam Andhra program is part of this initiative to emphasize the importance of exercise to villagers. It is the first-ever sports competition in Andhra Pradesh that spans from village/ward secretariat level to State level. The tournament includes various sports such as cricket, volleyball, kabaddi, kho-kho, and badminton doubles.
The Government has also taken steps to support and encourage sports talent in the State. Badminton players Kidambi Srikanth and PV Sindhu will mentor aspiring players and have been allocated lands for their academies. The Government is also working with prime volleyball and pro kabbadi to promote volleyball and kabaddi.
Over 34.19 lakh sportspersons have registered to participate in the event, with 88.66 lakh people registering as spectators. The Government has identified 9,000 playgrounds within the 15,000 secretariats and will provide sports kits to schools.
