Azharuddin urges TPS students to dream big
HYDERABAD: Telangana Minister for Minorities Welfare and Public Sector Enterprises Mohammad Azharuddin visited Telangana Public School (TPS), Arutla, on Saturday and spent more than three hours interacting with students, teachers and the school management.
The former India cricket captain inspected the school’s academic and residential facilities, played cricket with students, signed autographs and encouraged them to pursue excellence in education, sports and life.
Minister reviews academic and sports infrastructure
Azharuddin was received by the school principal, the Additional District Collector, public representatives, education department officials, teachers, staff and students.
During the visit, he inspected classrooms, laboratories, hostels, dining halls, sports grounds, sanitation facilities, drinking water infrastructure, cricket practice nets, and basketball and volleyball courts.
Addressing students and teachers, the minister thanked the school management, principal, teachers, officials and staff for the warm welcome. He appreciated their efforts to provide quality education to students.
He said the Telangana government, under the leadership of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, had established modern educational institutions with high-quality academic and sports infrastructure. He said students now had access to quality classrooms, experienced teachers, spacious playgrounds, cricket practice facilities and other sports infrastructure, and urged them to make full use of these opportunities.
Recalling his childhood, Azharuddin said his school had only a small playground, but discipline, dedication and hard work helped him succeed. He told students that determination and perseverance mattered more than infrastructure in achieving success.
He said earlier generations had achieved success despite limited resources, while today’s students had access to better opportunities through government support. He urged them to use every opportunity to build successful careers.
Passion, discipline and continuous learning key to success
The minister said passion was the foundation of success and that dedication, discipline and continuous practice were essential, whether in academics, sports or any other field.
He encouraged students to set ambitious goals and aspire to become doctors, engineers, scientists, civil servants, teachers, principals, sportspersons, leaders or professionals in the careers of their choice.
Azharuddin described teachers as playing an invaluable role in shaping students’ futures. He advised students to respect their teachers, ask questions without hesitation and continue learning throughout their lives.
He also urged students to respect their principal, teachers, staff, classmates and everyone around them, saying humility and respect helped individuals achieve greater success.
Sharing his personal experience, Azharuddin said his teachers had played a crucial role in his development as an international cricketer by instilling discipline, good behaviour, communication skills and respect for others. He said they continued to take pride in his achievements.
He said parents were every student’s greatest source of strength and urged children to respect them and follow their guidance, adding that parents and teachers together shaped every student’s future.
The minister advised students to identify and develop their talents, whether in studies, cricket, arts or any other field, through consistent practice. He said continuous training had been the key to his own cricketing success.
He encouraged students not to lose confidence after setbacks, saying every failure laid the foundation for future success.
Azharuddin said the values learnt from Class I to Class X remained with individuals throughout their lives and advised students to cultivate good habits, healthy friendships and strong moral values.
He urged students never to hesitate to ask questions, adding that even during his international cricket career he had continued learning from coaches and mentors.
The minister also appealed to boys and girls to study with equal commitment, respect one another and grow into responsible citizens who would make their parents, Telangana and the country proud.
After his address, Azharuddin joined students for a cricket session, offering batting and fielding tips while sharing experiences from his international career.
The minister’s visit generated enthusiasm among students. Hundreds of them interacted with him, asking questions about education, cricket and career goals. Azharuddin spoke with students individually, signed cricket bats, T-shirts and notebooks, posed for photographs and encouraged them to dream big and work hard to achieve their ambitions.
Students and teachers described the visit as a memorable experience, saying the minister’s interaction boosted their confidence and inspired them to pursue education, sports and life with discipline, honesty and dedication.
