AP Govt felicitates medal winners of Commonwealth Games

Hyderabad, Apr 3 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh Sports Minister M Satyanarayana Rao today felicitated medal winners of the Commonwealth Games from the state at a Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) function.

Bronze medallists in men's single shuttle badminton Chetan Anand, badminton mixed team championship (bronze) winners Chetan Anand, Jwala Gutta, Shruthi Kurien and Saina Nehwal were felicitated.

Athlete S Geeta who won silver in 4x400 relay and Gagan Narang who won four gold medals were not present as they could not reach here.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Rao said four medals in Commonwealth Games was a big achievement for Andhra Pradesh. Sportspersons in AP won two medals in weight lifting in 2002 Commonwealth Games and in 1998 one Bronze medal was won by Badminton champion P Gopichand.

The state delegation led by Sports Minister comprising SAAP Chairman M S Raj Thakur, AP Sports Secretary Chitra Ramachandran, SAAP Managing Director Kamala Vardhan visited the Australian Sports Institute and village and stadia and studied the arrangements made by the Games committee. They submitted a report to the AP government, based on which it would take up an action plan for the 2007 World Military Games in Hyderabad.

The Sports Minister promised to take up with the Education Department inclusion of sports as a subject in schools, as part of government plans to improve sports.

UNI XR/ASJ DH DS1616