Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) [India], February 13 : The grand finale of the Andhra Pradesh government's first ever sports extravaganza 'Aadudam Andhra', which saw a participation of over 25 lakh people, took place on Tuesday at the YSR Stadium in Visakhapatnam amid much pomp and show.
"Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy gave the valedictory speech and felicitated all the winners as the 47-day-long sports festival concluded on Tuesday," a statement from the Andhra Pradesh government read.
The stadium was occupied by a sea of youngsters, their proud parents, all gleaming with joy along with the official brand ambassador 'Kittu' dancing away amid heavy cheering. Sports Minister RK Roja along with members of the Sports Department too attended the closing ceremony that saw an impressive laser show and a world-class fireworks act.
At the onset, CM Jagan highlighted the key achievements of the Aadudam Andhra campaign.
"Approximately 25.4 lakh players participated in a total of 3.3 lakh competitions held at the village level, 1.24 lakh at the Mandal level, 7,346 at the constituency level, 1,731 at the district level, and 260 competitions at the state level, all in a span of just 47 days," he said in a statement.
'I am happy to announce that the YSRCP government provided sports kits worth Rs 37 crore, cash prizes worth over Rs 12.21 crore, along with giving our talented sportsmen from rural areas an opportunity to compete and excel," he added.
Elaborating on how this unique programme will be a turning point for our youth, CM Jagan said, "Renowned sports franchises like Chennai Super Kings (CSK), Andhra Cricket Association (ACA), Pro Kabaddi, Black Hawks Volleyball, AP Kho-Kho Association, and AP Badminton Association have scouted 14 young sportsmen through Aadudam Andhra, all of whom will now be trained professionally. The franchises will help the young players transform into professional players in their respective games and nurture them for the next phase of their sporting journey. Given the massive participation and popularity of this programme, I've decided that the state government will organise 'Aadudam Andhra' sports tournament every year!"
Reiterating the objective behind the campaign once again, CM Jagan stated, "Aadudham Andhra acted as an awareness drive where our endeavour was to encourage everyone to adopt a healthy lifestyle and actively take part in sports. At the same time, we wanted to provide a platform to the youth to showcase their talent, get scouted and then excel at the national and international level."
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