Hyderabad: Telangana is working to establish itself as a global sports hub, Minister for IT and Industries Duddilla Sridhar Babu said on Tuesday.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the SLV Pro Badminton Stadium at Samathanagar in Nizampet. The Minister said the initiative is part of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s focus on people-centric governance.
A new state sports policy has been introduced, he said, aimed at building infrastructure and changing public attitudes. “Earlier, cricket dominated attention. That’s no longer the case. Families now support children in various sports,” he said.
He said Hyderabad, once known mainly for biryani, is now also identified with badminton.
He credited players like Pullela Gopichand, Saina Nehwal, PV Sindhu, Chirag Shetty, and Satwiksairaj for putting Hyderabad on the map. He said their success has encouraged children to pursue badminton professionally. He described Gopichand’s role as pivotal in making Hyderabad a centre for the sport.
He announced plans for a Young India Sports University to open in 2026. He said the state would also develop sports grounds in every village panchayat and mandal headquarters. A FIFA-certified girls’ football academy is being planned at Gachibowli, he added.
Dedicated sports schools will be set up in each of the ten erstwhile districts, he said. The goal, according to him, is to identify young talent at the grassroots and provide the infrastructure and guidance to help them advance.
Sridhar Babu, who also heads the Badminton Association of Telangana, said efforts are underway to take the sport beyond urban areas. He called on parents to support children interested in sports.
MLA Arikepudi Gandhi, MLC Deshapathi Srinivas, and other officials were present at the event.
The inauguration of the SLV Pro Badminton Stadium in Nizampet reflects Telangana’s growing commitment to becoming a ‘Global Sports Hub’, with a new sports policy focused on the 2036 Olympics. Hyderabad, once known for biryani, is now equally recognized for #badminton, thanks to… pic.twitter.com/bBBqkdW0RS
— Sridhar Babu Duddilla (@OffDSB) June 24, 2025
