Khelo Telangana to promote daily fitness, sports leagues across state
HYDERABAD: The Telangana Sports and Youth Services Department is launching a series of programmes under Khelo Telangana to promote daily physical activity and strengthen the state’s sports culture.
The department, through the Sports Authority of Telangana (SATG), will roll out the programmes in phases. The initiative aims to make fitness and sports a regular part of people’s lives.
Sports and Youth Services Minister Vakiti Srihari unveiled the Khelo Telangana poster at the Secretariat. Government sports affairs adviser A.P. Jithender Reddy, Special Chief Secretary Jayesh Ranjan, SATG Vice-Chairman and Managing Director A. Sonibala Devi, Telangana Olympic Association secretary Mallareddy and other officials attended the event.
The Telangana government portal lists Srihari as Sports and Youth Services Minister. It also identifies Jithender Reddy as government sports adviser and Jayesh Ranjan as Special Chief Secretary for Sports and Youth Services.
Khelo Telangana Bandhan
Under Khelo Telangana Bandhan, the department will encourage people to spend at least 30 minutes a day on health and fitness.
The programme will target people across age groups. It aims to turn regular physical activity into a daily habit.
9+9+9 Fitness Challenge
The campaign will also introduce the 9+9+9 Fitness Challenge. Participants can take part in activities such as walking, jogging and yoga.
Participants can post a 27-second video on social media. They can then tag nine friends and invite another nine people to join the challenge.
The department hopes the challenge will spread the fitness message from one person to another. It also aims to encourage wider participation in daily physical activity.
Sports leagues across disciplines
Khelo Telangana will also promote sports leagues across different disciplines. The leagues will create more opportunities for people to participate in sports.
The programme will focus on participation from the school level to different age groups. It will also seek to increase awareness, interest and spectator support for various sports.
SATG plans to promote competitions in wrestling, boxing, volleyball, table tennis, judo, basketball, athletics, football, cycling and yoga asanas, among other disciplines.
Building a sports culture
Through Khelo Telangana, the department aims to bring sports closer to people and integrate fitness into daily life.
The programmes will also create more platforms for sporting talent. Officials will conduct the initiatives in phases as part of a continuing effort to strengthen Telangana’s sports ecosystem.
Srihari, Jithender Reddy, Jayesh Ranjan and Sonibala Devi appealed to sportspersons, students, youth, educational institutions, sports associations, fitness enthusiasts and others in the Telangana sports community to participate in the programme.
