The boom and bust of sporting culture in A.P.
A weightlifter’s bronze in Sydney remains the only Olympic medal present-day Andhra Pradesh can call its own. In Visakhapatnam, Paul Nicodemus reports how a State that had repeatedly built a system that produced medals, has over the years let it fall apart
In September 2000, Karnam Malleswari made history by winning a bronze medal in weightlifting at the Sydney Olympics, becoming the first Indian woman to achieve such a feat. Yet, 25 years later, Andhra Pradesh's Olympic honor roll still bears her name alone. This stark contrast reflects a declining sporting culture in the region. The state once boasted a thriving sporting ecosystem, but it has since fallen apart.
Badminton, too, tells a similar story. Swarna Bharati Indoor Stadium, built in 1998, once hosted mini-Nationals and a Mayor's Cup, where many Indian badminton stars trained. However, today, M.V. Murali Krishna, India’s Para-badminton team coach, hardly finds Andhra Pradesh players in the national team. Similarly, hockey in Visakhapatnam, once a dominant force, has collapsed over the past decade.
Noel Treasure, president of the Friends Hockey Association, recalls that six players from Visakhapatnam used to play in the Andhra hockey team during the 1980s and 1990s, but that number has drastically decreased.
Infrastructure, coaching capacity, and facilities have been major pain points in several sports in the state. Gallyot, a former hockey player and coach, highlights the lack of synthetic athletics tracks and AstroTurf for hockey, which are crucial for optimal performance. The district currently has only one turf in Kakinada, while international standards recommend at least a main turf and a warm-up turf.
Coaching capacity is also lacking, with Visakhapatnam district having only nine coaches compared to 15 or 16 in smaller districts. Moreover, the coaching profession itself has been diluted, with many coaches completing only six-week certification courses.
The lack of upgraded infrastructure is a significant issue. Swarna Bharati Indoor Stadium, despite costing around ₹70 crore, still lacks essential facilities like a warm-up arena, practice court, and proper washrooms. Murali Krishna argues that the investment could have resulted in a world-class stadium instead. The renovation was done without consulting him, and the end result falls short of international standards.
Furthermore, there has been a lack of official support and involvement from sports bodies. Noel Treasure claims that for the past 15 years, the official hockey bodies have not been working with the clubs, and there has been no league in the district for the past decade. Without a league, clubs fail to engage, and the sport suffers. Also, the renovation of the stadium was done without consulting Murali Krishna, the coach of India’s Para-badminton team, resulting in subpar facilities.
I. Venkateswara Rao, a Dronacharya award-winning boxing coach and former Indian team coach, believes the failure lies in the absence of a comprehensive sports system at the state level. He argues that while there is talk of promoting sports for the disabled, the facilities provided by the government are not up to standard. This contradiction highlights the lack of commitment to providing equal opportunities for all athletes in Andhra Pradesh.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
