Revanth’s mantra for Khelo India Youth Games: Keep It Simple & Secure | Hyderabad News

Hyderabad: For the 8th edition of the Khelo India Youth Games, scheduled to be held in Telangana from Dec 11 to 22, chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Monday advised officials to keep the opening and closing ceremonies simple, avoiding unnecessary extravagance in view of the El Nino conditions, and make foolproof arrangements, ensuring the highest quality standards.At a review meeting on the preparations, the CM directed officials to coordinate the arrangements for the sporting event with those being made for the Invest Telangana Global Summit, ensuring that the resources and facilities developed for the summit were also utilised for Khelo India. He noted that attracting investments in sports and promoting sports development were also part of the summit’s objectives.Revanth directed officials to take immediate steps to include Karrasamu, a traditional Telangana martial art, in the games under the host state’s quota. He was informed that athletes representing Telangana were undergoing training at Khelo India camps in various districts to ensure strong performances.More than 7,000 young athletes from across the country, along with around 2,000 coaches, officials and support staff, are expected to participate in the event. Competitions in 27 sporting disciplines and one demonstration event will be conducted at 20 venues across six cities, including Hyderabad.Reviewing the infrastructure development works at the 20 venues, Revanth Reddy stressed that the facilities should meet international standards and remain useful sporting assets even after the games conclude. He called for permanent infrastructure to identify sporting talent among youngsters and groom them into international-level athletes, with the long-term objective of winning Olympic medals.To ensure quality and accountability, the chief minister instructed that Group-1 officers be assigned supervisory responsibilities throughout the preparations and the conduct of the games. Trainee officers and Group-1 officers posted in different districts should oversee arrangements at the respective venues, he said, and directed officials to ensure that athletes face no difficulties with food and accommodation and sought weekly progress reports.