Hyderabad Has Nurtured Top Football Talent in the Country: CM Revanth

In his address at Gachibowli Stadium, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy highlighted the unique and significant place Hyderabad holds in India’s football history. He recalled that between the 1950s and 1960s, Hyderabad was referred to as the “Nursery of Indian Football.” He noted that the city played a crucial role in nurturing and producing top-tier football players in the country. He also mentioned that seven players from Hyderabad were part of the Indian football team that participated in the 1956 Olympics. The Hyderabad Police football team is also well-known across the nation for its strong legacy. Referring to BN Malik, he described him as a spy master who played a key role in strengthening the intelligence system. He stated that the All India Police Football Championship conducted in his memory saw participation from 34 teams, showcasing excellent sporting talent and he personally presented the trophy to the winning CISF team.

The Chief Minister expressed concern that the youth are gradually drifting away from sports and emphasized that abandoning sports fields is not the right path. He cited South Korea’s Sports University as an example, which, despite being built on 30 acres, has produced numerous Olympic gold medals. He pointed out that India, with a population of 1.4 billion, has not yet achieved a comparable level of success in winning gold medals at the Olympics, whereas South Korea, with a population of around 40 million, has secured over 30 medals. In this context, he announced the establishment of an international-standard Young India Sports University under a public-private partnership model, with renowned sportspersons and industrialists serving as board members.

He further stated that his goal is to steer youth away from pub and drug culture and bring them back to sports fields. He expressed concern that even well-educated youth are falling prey to drugs and stressed the need to address this issue seriously. Citing Punjab as an example, where youth were affected by drug abuse, he emphasized that such a situation should not be allowed to occur in Telangana. He noted that the nature of crime is evolving, with Artificial Intelligence (AI) becoming a double-edged sword and highlighted that drug-related and cybercrimes are becoming significant challenges for the police. He stressed that it is the responsibility of law enforcement to control these issues. He also assured that the government will provide employment opportunities to youth who excel in sports. He mentioned that boxer Nikhat Zareen was awarded a Group-1 job along with a cash prize of ₹2 crore, cricketer Mohammed Siraj was given a DSP post by relaxing certain norms, and Olympian Deepthi Juranji was also offered a Group-1 job, reaffirming that the government will continue to recognize and encourage sporting talent.