Youth from remote Jayapuram village in Mahabubabad shine in sports

Mahabubabad: Many teenagers and youth from the Jayapuram village of remote Narsimhulapet mandal in the district are shining in different sports and games, thanks to the support of the Vangala family from the village.

While 17-year-old Chandhu Lavanya from this village has made it to the Indian team for the upcoming Under-20 Asian Volleyball Championship to be held in Kazakhstan in July, several other youngsters have participated in state and national level volleyball tournaments and other games.

A retired physical director Nelakurthi Veera Reedy has been offering coaching to the students and youth since his retirement in 2015 with the support of the Vangala family. It may be added here that Nelakurthi Sikki Reddy, an international badminton player, also hails from this village, and incidentally she is the daughter of Veera Reddy’s brother.

One of the members of the Vangala family, Vangala Praveen Kumar Reddy, who is working as the Executive Director of the Shriram City union Finance, set up a charitable trust in 2018 to encourage the sports talent from the village and surrounding villages, while his ancestors led by Vangala Sudharshan Reddy had encouraged the sports and games since 1974 by setting the Kakatiya Youth Club.

Speaking to ‘Telangana Today’, the founder of Vangala Charitable Trust, Praveen Kumar Reddy said that he had been conducting the summer coaching camps for 40 to 50 students at the village since 2016 in memory of his father Ramchandra Reddy and uncle Vangala Sudarshan Reddy.

“I am going to set up an indoor stadium and a library in our own land,” he said. “This year 40 students attended the summer camp,” Praveen said. According to the villagers, more than 100 people had got government jobs due to the advantage of the sports.

“While 40 people worked as the Physical Directors and Physical Education Teachers, 48 people got the jobs in the police, excise and uniform services,” said a villager. Retired PD Veera Reddy, who coached Chandu Lavanya, said that she had represented Telangana State eight times at national level. Veera Reddy said that he wanted to send his students to play for the country during his service, but he could not.

“But Lavanya fulfilled my dream in my post-retirement period. I am very much happy about this.” Veera Reddy. Meanwhile, several youths from the village are working in the private sector with the support or reference of Vanagala Praveen Kumar.