CM Revanth Reddy unveils Telangana Sports Policy

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy unveiled the Telangana Sports Policy during the first edition of the Telangana Sports Conclave here on Saturday.

The policy outlines a comprehensive vision for sports development across the state and will focus on strengthening governance, expanding infrastructure, creating career pathways and nurturing a vibrant sports ecosystem.

“We finished in 71st position in the Paris Olympics. We have declared that we are ready to host the Olympics but what if we do not win a single gold medal there? This policy is not just a piece of paper but a valuable document to guide us in our endeavour to win medals at the Olympics,” he said during the day-long event, where the state government also announced several MoUs with key national and international organisations.

The policy also asks for the formation of a 14-member Board of Governors to oversee the Telangana Sports Development Fund (TSDF). Featuring some of India’s most respected stakeholders in sports like Kapil Dev, Abhinav Bindra, Pullela Gopichand, Bhaichung Bhutia and Sanjeev Goenka, this board will ensure transparent and accountable utilisation of resources.

Olympic medallist Gagan Narang said that the successful implementation of the policy could make Telangana a ‘game-changer’ in the Indian sports ecosystem.

“PPP (Public-Private Partnership) is the buzzword, but we forget the original PPP — Policy, Programme and Performance. Buy into this PPP, and the other PPP is not a problem. Telangana could be the first state to implement this,” he said during a panel discussion.

Former Olympic shooting champion Bindra underlined the country’s ‘transactional’ relationship with sport while hailing the objectives of the newly-launched framework.

“This is not for elite sport. There will be an increase in the playing numbers with this policy. It is important to develop sports from the grassroots level and not focus on medals alone,” he stated.