Hyderabad, July 9 (IANS) With India bidding to host the 2036 Olympics, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Thursday said it was his dream to see Telangana and Hyderabad host the prestigious sporting event.

He said Telangana and Hyderabad were being prepared in every aspect to host the Olympics.

The Chief Minister, along with Indian Olympic Association President P.T. Usha, inaugurated the Gachibowli Sports District and the Young India Physical Education and Sports University (YIPESU).

He announced that the sports university and a world-class sports academy with state-of-the-art facilities would be developed across 82 acres.

“The country has lagged behind in sports due to the absence of a clear policy in the sector. That is why we introduced a clear sports policy in Telangana,” he said.

The Chief Minister stated that there was a need for a policy governing sports training centres and universities across the country.

He said the government established the Young India Sports University, drawing inspiration from the Young India weekly newspaper led by Mahatma Gandhi during the freedom struggle.

He noted that Hyderabad, which had earlier hosted events such as the Afro-Asian Games, the World Military Games and the Commonwealth Games, had not hosted any major sporting event over the past 20 years.

“Stadiums built 23 years ago were subsequently used for weddings and political events; we intend to revitalise all of them,” he said.

He stated that to provide comprehensive support to genuine athletes, the government had established the sports university through a public-private partnership.

“There is no government interference in its operations. We set up the university in collaboration with individuals who champion sports — such as Dr Sanjiv Goenka, Abhinav Bindra, Kapil Dev, Kavya Maran, Upasana Konidela and Ravikanth Reddy — and have granted them full autonomy regarding its management,” he said.

The Chief Minister said a bright future awaited those who excelled not only in academics but also in sports and urged the youth to focus on sports.

He announced that the Telangana government would take responsibility for providing government jobs to athletes who excel in sports and bring laurels to the country.

“Youth are the nation’s wealth. When observing the medal tallies of various countries during the Olympics and other sporting events, India often finds itself at the bottom of the list. We need the support of individuals like P.T. Usha to help promote sports and athletes. There is much to learn from P.T. Usha; it was her excellence in sports that paved the way for her to become a Rajya Sabha member,” the Chief Minister said.

“To excel in any field, one must possess focus; that is the only way to succeed. One must practise with total dedication. There is no need to be disheartened by a single defeat. A loss should not discourage us; instead, we should view it as a challenge,” he added.

P.T. Usha congratulated the Chief Minister and the state government for establishing YIPESU with a strong commitment to promoting sports.

On the occasion, cash incentives totalling Rs 7.15 crore were awarded to six athletes from Telangana who demonstrated exceptional talent in various sports. Details of the tournaments and leagues that Telangana will host in the near future were also announced.

Telangana is set to host the 2026 Khelo India Youth Games (8th edition) and the National Inter-District Junior Athletics Meet. In addition, the state will host the Hockey India League, World Pickleball League, Archery Premier League and Tennis Premier League competitions.

Minister Vakiti Srihari, Government Advisor (Sports) A.P. Jithender, MLCs, MLAs, other public representatives, athletes, sports enthusiasts, officials and students were present.

–IANS

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