Govt replaces orginal emblem of Sports Authority of Telangana with stock image, ends up in embarrassment

The Congress government in Telangana found itself in an embarrassing situation after launching a new emblem for the Sports Authority of Telangana that was discovered to be a freely available image downloaded from the internet.

Hyderabad: The Congress government in Telangana found itself in an embarrassing situation after launching a new emblem for the Sports Authority of Telangana that was discovered to be a freely available image downloaded from the internet. The new emblem, unveiled with much fanfare by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, replaced the original emblem designed during the BRS regime, which prominently featured the Kakatiya Thoranam and other cultural symbols of the state.

The original emblem, created after Telangana’s formation, included the Kakatiya Thoranam alongside a sports cup and imagery representing various sports, with the name “Sports Authority of Telangana State” written in Telugu, Urdu, and English. However, the new emblem displayed a generic torch with a flame comprising five coloured figures, along with the slogan “Sports for Life” written in English.

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Netizens and sports enthusiasts were quick to identify the emblem as a stock image available online and criticised the Chief Minister for removing iconic symbols like the Kakatiya Thoranam and Charminar. They questioned the rationale behind using public funds to create a new emblem that was essentially a free image, accusing the government of wasting taxpayers’ money.