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Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has announced that the Young India Sports University will be inaugurated by December 2028 as the world’s largest sports university spread across 82 acre land, and that Hyderabad will be the stage for hosting the Olympics being planned to be held in India in 2036.

During the launch of Gachibowli Sports District, YIPESU at Gachibowli Stadium on Thursday, July 9, Revanth Reddy said that India needs a policy for sports, training facilities in sports academies, and sports universities.

Recalling how sports infrastructure was created in Hyderabad from 1999 to 2004, Revanth Reddy said that it had enabled the then state governments to conduct Afro-Asian Games, World Military Games and the Asian Games.

“For the past 20 years there have been no important sports events in Telangana, despite the sports infrastructure in place 23 years ago. Today that infrastructure has become a stage for hosting private weddings and political programmes. It needs to change,” the chief minister said.

Elaborating on the Young India Sports University, he said that the state government would only be a facilitator, and would not interfere in the matters of the academy of the university, and would give full freedom to the apolitical nominees in the board of directors to run the university free from politics.

He also said that Telangana would host the upcoming Khelo India competitions in Telangana, in November 2026.

“I don’t know if all educated people will get jobs, but those who excel in sports will definitely be encouraged by the state government,” he said, referring to World Boxing Champion Nikhat Zareen and Indian Cricket Player Mohd Sirajuddin, who were appointed in the rank of Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSP) by the Telangana government for their achievements in sports.

Concluding his speech, Revanth Reddy exhorted the players not to be disheartened by failures, by giving his own example of losing the 2018 Kodangal assembly election, but winning the election to the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha segment just four months later.

He encouraged the youngsters to excel in sports, and to achieve medals for the country in Olympics, which he felt, were scarce in the present scenario despite the fact that India has a population of 140 crore.

Cash awards were presented to sportspersons including boxing world champion Nikhat Zareen, team India cricketer Mohd Siraj, paralympics champion Deepthi Jeevanji among others on the occasion.