Telangana announces Rs 1.20 crore for Dhanush Srikanth after Deaflympics gold

By HNH Web Desk On Nov 16, 2025

Hyderabad: Telangana Sports Minister Vakiti Srihari on Sunday announced a cash incentive of Rs 1.20 crore for Dhanush Srikanth. Srikanth won a gold medal at the Tokyo Deaflympics 2025. The award, declared under the state’s sports policy, was made during the inauguration of the new Telangana Sports School at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Hanumakonda.

Congratulating Srikanth on his achievement, the minister stated that the Congress government had prioritised sports development since assuming office. He said that discipline and focus were essential for athletes to excel. Additionally, he emphasized that sports skills must be developed from the student stage.

Srihari compared Olympic achievements globally, noting that smaller nations like South Korea had excelled with 36 gold medals. He urged students to minimise distractions such as mobile phones and video games and focus on athletic development.

Telangana aims to become sports hub through policy reforms

The minister revealed that the state had launched a new sports policy to identify rural talent. This policy also aims to promote athletes to national and international platforms. As part of this initiative, the Hanumakonda sports school will begin with 80 students in the 2025–26 academic year.

He announced plans to increase job reservations for medal-winning sportspersons. The initiative includes establishing a first-of-its-kind Young India Physical Education and Sports University in Telangana. The policy also includes setting up modern stadiums and training centres in every district.

Under the Guruu Vandanam scheme, welfare measures such as accident insurance worth Rs 15 lakh for coaches have been introduced. The state also initiated the Shaping Young India 2025 summer coaching camps. Furthermore, the state organized the CM Cup 2024 to promote rural-level sports.

Sports kits were distributed at the event, which saw participation from local MLAs, government officials, and sports authority representatives.