19 hours ago
Over 550 players participating in Visakhapatnam district-level badminton tournament
The five-day Visakhapatnam District Badminton Championship-2025 was inaugurated at the S3 Sports Arena in MVP Colony, here on Saturday. The tournament is organised by the Shuttle Badminton Association of Visakhapatnam District (SBAD).
This championship serves as the district selection trials for the under-11, 13, 15, 17, 19 boys and girls, and men and women categories to represent Visakhapatnam at the State-level badminton championship. As per the organisers, over 550 players from across the district are participating, making it one of the largest district-level selections in recent years.
State TDP president Palla Srinivasa Rao attended the event as the chief guest. During his address, he highlighted the Andhra Pradesh government's latest G.O. to encourage professional athletes through significant cash awards and assured that under the Swarnandhra Vision 2029, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is focused on making the State a leader in sports development. He also emphasised the new policy of 3 per cent reservation in government jobs for achievers in sports.
Mayor, Peela Srinivasa Rao affirmed Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation's (GVMC) commitment to improving sports facilities in the city. MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, Visakhapatnam South MLA Ch. Vamsikrishna Srinivas, CEO of Andhra Pradesh Badminton Association (APBA) and executive president of SBAVD, Ch. Srinivasa Rao, also attended the event.
