Water sports training centre to come up in Kothagudem’s Aswapuram

A new water sports training facility in Kothagudem to promote aqua sports among the youths is being planned.

Kothagudem: The district administration has planned to develop a water sports training facility at Tummalacheruvu tank in Aswapuram mandal in the district to promote aqua sports among the youths.

Several sports persons visited the tank and found it suitable for water sports like rowing. District Collector Jitesh V Patil, Bhadrachalam and ITDA Project Officer B Rahul also visited the place two months ago and proposed to set up a water sports training centre at the location. Speaking to ‘Telangana Today’, District Youth and Sports Officer M Parandhama Reddy informed that on an experimental basis a double scull rowing shell, used for training purposes, was procured recently. An international rower Yalamanchili Kiran of Sathupalli has been engaged to train youths.

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It is planned to give training for one week and applications have been invited from interested youths. In the first phase 15-20 youths are being trained at present, depending on the response and turnout of the youths the training would be continued. The challenging aspect here is to find qualified trainers. After the first batch completes the training they would continue their daily practice and depending on the need the trainer Kiran would be visiting the district to train the youths, Parandhama Reddy explained.

Efforts are on to prepare budgetary proposals to establish a permanent water sports training centre at Tummalacheruvu tank. The tank, which is two kilometres in length and nearly one kilometre in width, is a suitable place for water sports. Water availability in the summer season makes it an ideal place for water sports. As it is proposed to link the tank with Sitarama Lift Irrigation Scheme there would be no shortage for water for sporting activities. At present the tourism department is operating pedal boats for tourists, he noted.

Kiran said the response from the youths is good. Rowing has immense potential as a sport.  Plans to visit educational institutions to make presentations on water sports so that more youths would be attracted to it, are being made. If the water sports training centre is established at Tummalacheruvu it would become the second one in Telangana after the water sports training centre being run at Hussain Sagar, Hyderabad. The district administration’s decision to introduce water sports in the district is laudable, he added.