The Hindu : Sport : CoE at APSS soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 06, 2005

Sport

Sport - Sports : General

CoE at APSS soon

By V. V. Subrahmanyam

HYDERABAD, MARCH 5. A Centre of Excellence (CoE) will be established very soon at the Andhra Pradesh Sports School (APSS, Hakimpet), near here. The Sports Authority of India and the Union Government have sanctioned the approval for the same.

With the State Government having decided not to shift the existing Sports School to the Gachibowli Sports Complex and instead use the 205-acre land originally allotted to the School, Ms. Sumita Dawra, VC & MD of SAAP, has also given the go-ahead to establish the CoE in the premises. This means 214 students (boys and girls) of the School will have the advantage of being trained by qualified coaches and improvement in facilities and accommodation.

New features

As per CoE plans, new features include an indoor stadium, a hostel building for 300 trainees, an academics block, improvement of football field and gymnastics hall, a new swimming pool and staff quarters.

According to K. Narsaiah, Special Officer of the School, the idea of CoE is to extend benefits for enthusiastic students and ensure that there is continuity on the academics front. The new plan of action includes education up to graduate level.

The School with an annual budget of Rs.1 crore and controlled by the VC & MD of SAAP with a Special Officer looking after the day-to-day affairs, has four disciplines on offer — athletics, football, weightlifting and gymnastics.

The new disciplines include hockey, sepak takraw, volleyball, badminton, tennis and swimming.

The School has produced good athletes, including S. Geetha and P. Shankar and weightlifter Haritha.

The Centre and State Governments will share the total budget of Rs. 7.5 crores equally with the former already having released Rs.1 crore. With the State Government having decided to start Sports Schools in Cuddapah, Visakhapatnam and Karimnagar and the COE finally taking shape, there is something to cheer for.

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