Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was part of the grand closing ceremony of the 'Aadudam Andhra' tournament at the Dr. YSR International Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam.

During the event, he felicitated the winners by distributing awards and cash prizes.

Launched by the State Government, 'Aadudam Andhra' aimed to promote physical activity and health awareness at the grassroots level while nurturing the talents of young athletes in both rural and urban areas.

The initiative aspired to groom sporting icons who could bring glory to the nation, as stated in a press release by the Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Department.

To support this vision, the government had invested significantly, providing sports kits valued at approximately ₹37 crore, along with cash prizes exceeding ₹12 crore, and numerous other incentives to participants.

The tournament witnessed an impressive scale, featuring 3.30 lakh matches at the Village/Ward secretariat-level, 1.24 lakh matches at the mandal-level, 7,346 matches at the constituency level, 1,731 matches at the district-level, and 260 matches at the state level.

A remarkable 25,40,972 athletes, comprising 17,59,263 males and 7,81,709 females, enthusiastically participated, attracting an audience of 80 lakh spectators.

Furthermore, the government pledged to identify promising talents through collaborations with sporting bodies like the Andhra Cricket Association and franchises such as Pro Kabaddi, Black Hawks Volleyball, and Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

These talents would receive specialized training to excel in national and international competitions, marking a significant step towards fostering sporting excellence in Andhra Pradesh.