CM Cup returns with multi-stage competitions across Telangana

The second edition of the Chief Minister’s Cup begins January 17 in Telangana, spanning five stages from village to state level. Officials said the initiative aims to nurture rural talent and strengthen Telangana’s representation in the 2036 Olympic Games

Hyderabad: The second edition of the Chief Minister’s Cup will be held from January 17 in five stages across village, mandal, municipality, Assembly, district and state levels.

The schedule:

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Village (Gram Panchayat) Level: January 17 to 22

Mandal / Municipality Level: January 28 to 31

Assembly Constituency Level: February 3 to 5

District Level: February 9 to 12

State Level: February 20 to 23

Winners at the village level will advance to the mandal stage, followed by assembly constituency, district, and finally the state-level competitions.

Grand success of previous edition:
To promote awareness and encourage youth participation, the Department of Sports organised “Kreeda Jyothi” rallies across all mandal headquarters in the state. Young athletes participated enthusiastically in these rallies.

Telangana Sports Minister V Srihari said the primary objective of the CM Cup would be to identify and nurture rural sporting talent, with the vision of developing world-class athletes from villages and ensuring strong representation from Telangana in the 2036 Olympic Games.

Sports Authority of Telangana Chairman Shivasena Reddy said that the first edition of the CM Cup was a major success and, inspired by that achievement, the second edition CM Cup 2025 is being conducted on a larger scale.

The chairman urged rural athletes to participate in large numbers.

State Government Sports Advisor AP Jithender Reddy emphasized that the success of the CM Cup depends on the coordinated efforts of sports associations, physical education teachers, physical directors, and sports enthusiasts.

Technology-driven support system:
Sports Authority of Telangana Managing Director Dr Soni Bala Devi announced that comprehensive information for rural athletes and officials will be provided through AI-powered call centers, WhatsApp bots, a dedicated website, and AI chatbots.

She said that complete data of all participating athletes will be digitized and securely stored to support long-term athlete development and monitoring.