Category Archives: Sports

Discover Araku from a hot air balloon in the second edition of the festival

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HotAirBaloonANDHRA10jan2019

Floating over the skies of Araku Valley, thrill seekers will soon get a unique bird’s-eye view of familiar sights. The picturesque Araku Valley will play host to the second edition of the International Hot Air Balloon Festival. Twenty hot air balloons from 15 countries across the world will dot the pristine skies of Araku, a hill station near Visakhapatnam, from January 18 to 20 as part of the festival, organised by AP Tourism in association with E-Factor. The balloons will sail over the verdant valley with its tribal hamlets and agricultural fields.

The highlight of the festival will be the specially-shaped balloons like Baby Car and Flying Honey Bee from Brazil, Bruno Clown from Slovakia and Happy Chicken Egg from the Netherlands. The three-day festival will also see international champions and paramotorists from Europe providing some thrilling displays and stunts.

The tickets for hot air ballooning are not available for sale. However, there are lucky draws and contests available on the website visakhautsav.in and people can try their luck and win seats for the morning flights and tethers.

While the balloons will soar in the skies in the early mornings, don’t miss the Night Glow Show at NTR Grounds on all three days of the festival, when the balloons inflate and light up to the beat of music at the centre of the valley. One of the highlights of this festival is the luxury camping facility set up near the venue with around 40 well-designed tents for travellers.

Tourism on the rise

The world over, governments and promoters are recognising the importance of using hot air balloons as a tool for tourism and employment generation. Places like Cambodia’s historic Angkor Wat, Turkey’s UNESCO World Heritage site of Cappadocia and Myanmar’s ancient temples of Bagan have seen a surge in tourist inflows after hot air ballooning activities were started. According to industry figures, the Hot Air Ballooning industry has been growing in India for the last three to five years at around 20 % year-on-year growth.

“The response for the first edition was phenomenal and has helped establish the brand name Araku from a much larger national perspective.

The tourism impact of this has also been extremely positive since all the hotel inventories were sold out during the festival time. The same situation is envisaged this year as well,” says Samit Garg, CEO and co-founder of E-Factor.

Joseph Llado, a veteran ballooning pilot from Barcelona with 38 years of experience, was floored by the undiscovered charm of Araku when he came for the first edition of the festival. “This is a gem of a place for hot air ballooning. Araku’s beautiful, hilly terrain makes it a fascinating place to explore,” he remarked.

According to Rick Astral, a ballooning pilot from Chile, his visit to Araku last year opened up a new vista of adventures. “Every moment we got to experience a new splendour,” said Rick Astral, a balloon pilot from Chile. Sukhbir S. Sekhon, a Malaysian pilot, who went up to one of the highest levels on the first day of the balloon festival last year, was overwhelmed by the “spectacular” green stretches of fields and hills. “It was a sight to behold! We went across a small hill and it was quite a discovery,” he said.

Landing her compact hot air balloon on the lush fields in a village of Araku, Atiqah Khairudin from Malaysia added, “This place is a beautiful piece of jewel and a great a discovery for balloon pilots. It can be a wonderful way to showcase its beauty to people who want to experience the grand panoramic view from the hot air balloon.”

The concept of hot air ballooning was almost unheard of about a decade ago. Today, hot air balloons soar over Indian skies like colourful confetti and is fast picking up as a great adventure sport in cities like Agra,Pushkar, Lucknow, Jaipur and even Tamil Nadu.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Life & Style> Travel / by Nivedita Ganguly / January 09th, 2019

First dragon boat race on Krishna on January 13, 14

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Set for a splash: A grooming session will be offered by SAAP coaches for the boat race at the Nagayalanka ghat in Krishna district. | Photo Credit: T_APPALANAIDU
Set for a splash: A grooming session will be offered by SAAP coaches for the boat race at the Nagayalanka ghat in Krishna district. | Photo Credit: T_APPALANAIDU

Boats from Indore are on display at Nagayalanka ghat

The State government in collaboration with the local communities is gearing up for the maiden dragon boat race on River Krishna at Nagayalanka ghat in the district on January 13 and 14.

The professional dragon boats have been imported from Indore in Madhya Pradesh and a total of seven boats are available for the race. The Nagayalanka Swachh Bharat Society (NSBS), the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) and the Department of Tourism are playing the prime role in organising the race, marking Sankranti celebrations.

Deputy Speaker Mandali Buddha Prasad told The Hindu that preparations were in full swing for the boat race.

“The Dragon Boat Federation of India has confirmed the participation of their two teams in the race, encouraging participation of more teams from local communities,” NSBS president G. Sudheer told The Hindu.

An intensive campaign has been launched by the organisers, creating awareness about the race and a grooming session being offered by SAAP coaches.

Traditional boat race

On the other hand, a traditional boat race will also be conducted simultaneously, encouraging the local people.

The dragon boats are on display at the Nagayalanka ghat to promote the water sport.

In 2016, dragon boat race was held on Ulsoor Lake in Bangalore and in Andhra Pradesh this will be the first such race.

NSBS volunteers Mandava Balavardhana Rao, S. Krishna Prasad and T. Raghu Sekhar are making preparations for the venue, campaign and facilities required for the race at the ghat.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Appala Naidu Tippana / Nagayalanka (Krishna) – December 25th, 2018

Citizens gear up for two-day Kondaveedu fete

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Plans for trekking and boating facilities, a walking track, zoological park and colourful lightings have also been proposed in an attempt to attract more tourists to the Kondaveedu fort.

Guntur :

The State government has decided to hold the two-day Kondaveedu festival from February 2. Plans for trekking and boating facilities, a walking track, zoological park and colourful lightings have also been proposed in an attempt to attract more tourists to the Kondaveedu fort.

Keeping this in view, the government has spent Rs 60 crore on the development of the fort and Rs 35 crore for construction of the ghat road leading to it. Collector K Sasidhar said the administration would begin preservation works at the fort which was in good condition despite being centuries old.

“Temples, mosque, military camps and three tanks on the hilltop will also be renovated,” he said. Phase three works of a 670-metre road connecting historical sites in the area has also begun.

Civil Supplies Minister P Pulla Rao, who visited the fort on Tuesday, said, “Plantation of one lakh medicinal and other plants at Kondaveedu will be done on December 30,” and directed forest officials to remove wild plants before December 25.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Express News Service / December 12th, 2018

Skater Rana’s marathon reaches Vizag

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Way to go: Rana Uppalapati has covered 4,500 km till date. | Photo Credit: C.V.Subrahmanyam
Way to go: Rana Uppalapati has covered 4,500 km till date. | Photo Credit: C.V.Subrahmanyam

‘Indian Golden Quadrilateral’ aims at raising money for girl child education

Noted skater Rana Uppalapati, who has taken up the task of covering the 6,000-km Golden Quadrilateral to create awareness and raise money for girl child education, reached Visakhapatnam on Thursday.

The ‘Indian Golden Quadrilateral’ programme, being funded by the Titan Company Limited in collaboration with the Tata Group, was flagged off at Hosur in Karnataka on September 5 and he had so far covered Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha.

The 37-year-old skater, who covered about 4,500 km and reached his home town after 70 days, was given a warm welcome by the denizens, skaters and friends, at the VUDA Children’s Arena in Siripuram.

Money mobilised so far

He is accompanied by a six-member logistic team, who travel in a car ahead.

“In the last 70 days, we have interacted with at least 5 lakh people across various parts of the country and raised ₹3.60 crore, which would be enough for educating close to 10,000 girls. But our target is to provide education for 25,000 girls and I am sure in the next 30 days, we would achieve it,” Mr. Rana Uppalapati said.

Earlier he undertook two such skating trips to create awareness on health issues.

The longest trip he had taken up was from Vizag to Chennai, around 800 km.

Covering 6,000 km now was definitely a tough task, “but it will be a milestone if I can achieve it,” he said.

“In the first 30 days, due to bad roads, high temperature and a few other hassles, we would cover around 12 km per day, starting at 4 am. But later we started to cover close to 50 to 60 km, on a daily basis. Today, I skated from Tagarapuvalasa to Lankapalem, covering almost 67 km in just two and half hours. When we show people the amount of difficulty involved in our journey, the message reaches in a strong way,” said Mr. Uppalapati.

He said his journey would end by meeting kids, communities and other people in schools, colleges, meeting halls etc every day.

“Apart from educating underprivileged girl children, we are also creating awareness among children on safety, especially on good touch and bad touch.”

The mission is expected to end on December 18 at Hosur. A grand event is being planned in Bengaluru.

Managing Director of the Titan Company Bhaskar Bhat, AVP & Head, Corporate Sustainability Titan NE Sridhar, family members, city-based skaters, athletes and others were present.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Harish Gilai / Visakhapatnam – November 22nd, 2018

Ongole’s cricket stadium has scary past!

Arts, Culture & Entertainment, Green Initiatives / Environment, Historical Links, Pre-Independence, Records, All, Sports

The city of Ongole, in Prakasam district, is known for a particular breed of oxen. It’s also known for the CSR Sarma College, where Tollywood star Chiranjeevi studied from 1970-72

File photo of the cricket stadium in Ongole
File photo of the cricket stadium in Ongole

Ongole :

The city of Ongole, in Prakasam district, is known for a particular breed of oxen. It’s also known for the CSR Sarma College, where Tollywood star Chiranjeevi studied from 1970-72. Few know that the cricket ground at CSR Sarma College has a unique history.

It’s perhaps the only cricket ground in India which is built on a burial ground. It was home to venomous snakes and other wild creatures.  It was in 2008 when the Prakasam District Cricket Association (PDCA) and the college decided to sign a memorandum of understanding to build a quality stadium, which the city lacked.

“A decade ago, this place was in a totally different state,” says PDCA secretary Pratap Kumar. “It used to be a burial ground and was even named as crime zone. Since 2008, we have been developing it gradually. The ground, with a hillock in the backdrop, had a pond, 15 feet in depth. We dumped almost 16,000 truck loads of soil and renovated a lot to make it look like this.”

Looking like any other cricket venue now, this ground has hosted four Ranji Trophy matches. The fifth, between Andhra and Tamil Nadu, starts on Tuesday. “The eastern side is where we put up chairs. During the last match, crowds turned up in huge numbers to watch Shreyas Iyer and Prithvi Shaw in action. We can expect a sizeable turnout for the Tamil Nadu tie, although it would be more exciting if Dinesh Karthik and R Ashwin were in the team,” said Pratap.

The main objective of the ACA to set up a cricket ground amidst unusual surroundings was to develop cricket at the grassroots. “We saw the potential to have a stadium here. With BCCI’s permission we allowed PDCA to host matches. Our aim is to conduct matches in every district. Wherever there are facilities, we grant them permission to organise first-class matches,” ACA general secretary Arun Kumar said.

With the aim to improving infrastructure, PDCA has arranged a 12-foot sight screen. The ground is equipped with underground cables (both electrical and optical), six cameras for recording the match, two air-conditioned rooms for video analysts, BCCI match referees and scorers.

Conducting matches during rainy season does not pose any hurdle despite the ground lacking an advanced drainage system. “Water drains out automatically. With a low hillock, even if it rains heavily, we can resume the match an hour after rain stops,” explained Pratap.

It was in January 2015 that the ground got the nod to host its maiden Ranji match. The first four-day match saw Andhra taking on Tripura. In four Ranji matches it has hosted till date, the Andhra-Mumbai encounter which took place last November witnessed nearly 7,000 spectators.

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Srinidhi PR / Express News Service / November 20t, 2018

Formula 1 on Krishna river kicks off today

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Powerboats to zoom at 200 km per hour at Grand Prix of India.

PowerboatsANDHRA19nov2018
Vijayawada :

The stage is set for the inauguration of the first international Formula 1 boat races on the waters of the Krishna river at Amaravati.

The 2018 UIM F1H2O World Championship’s six-round powerboat race will start on November 16. The powerboats with a speed of 220 km per hour would compete to win the championship.

Teams from 14 countries are going to participate in the first of its kind international powerboat racing on the Krishna river. The FIH20 is very famous and popular in other countries as 273 grand championships have been held in 32 countries.

Earlier, the FIH20 world championship was conducted in Mumbai in March 2004. This is the second time that the championship would be held in India, at Amaravati and it would be called the Grand Prix of India.

The AP tourism department in association with F1H2O Promoter Manage-ment and India Xtreme Adventure Activities said that the powerboat races would be telecast live in many countries. The tourism department has entered the Amaravati team for the competition from Andhra Pradesh.

Stable waters without waves are required to conduct powerboat races to avoid capsizing of boats and FIH2O found the Krishna water from Prakasam Barrage to Pavitra Sangamam suitable for powerboat racing.

India Xtreme Adventure, CEO, Sandeep Mandava said that F1H2O will be live telecast in almost 60 foreign countries and Amaravati would get good coverage due to the event.

He said that F1H2O was very popular globally and this is the first time that this international event would be conducted in India and for the first time in south India as well. He said that F1H2O would further promote water sports and would inspire the youth and students in Andhra Pradesh.

Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation managing director Himanshu Shukla said that arrangements had been made for the seating of one lakh people to watch powerboat racing.

He said that 20 LED screens had been erected to show the powerboat races live to the people of the state. He said that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu will launch the FIH2O championship on November 16 and the competition would be held on November 16, 17 and 18.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> Nation> Current Affairs / by Deccan Chronicle / November 16th, 2018

A.P. mountaineer scales Mt.Kilimanjaro

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Sk. Himmamsa at Uhuru peak. | Photo Credit: byarrangement
Sk. Himmamsa at Uhuru peak. | Photo Credit: byarrangement

23-year-old climbs 5,895 metre peak

Ace mountaineer from Ongole, Sk.Himmamsa, turned euphoric as he set foot, holding the national flag, on the Uhuru peak, the highest point in snow-capped Mt. Kilimanjaro, to score a grand treble of summits in quick succession.

It was a dream come true for the 23-year-old as he summited the 5,895 metre Uhuru peak, the highest in the African continent, to achieve a string of triple successes in mountaineering. He scaled Mt. Everest this summer and Mt. Elbrus in Russia last month.

With guides from the Kilimanjaro National Park, Mr. Himmamsa began the trek from Kibo hut (Camp 3) on the midnight of October 3 and reached Uhuru at 7.40 a.m. (local time). “I did it under the most trying situation, with contrasting day and night temperatures,” he said proudly.

He now wishes to summit Aconcagua in South America, Denali in North America, Vinson Massif in Antarctica) and Kosciuszko in Australia.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Special Correspondent / Ongole – October 08th, 2018

Differently-abled youth in squad for Special Olympics

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Anantapur youth make it to the Indian squad for the Special Olympics

Their determination and achievements dwarf their disabilities with which Balakrishna and Kullaiamma were born. Hailing from remote villages in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh, the two have won laurels for the country many times at the Special Olympics.

Four boys and two girls from Anantapur have found a place in the national badminton team to represent India at Andorra Special Olympics to be held this month. Balakrishna and Kullaiamma are part of the team that left for Barcelona on Tuesday, en route to Andorra. The team includes: Shameela Dhanekula, Assefa Pendekanti, Ganesh pasuvula, Sreenivasulu Chakali, Sivaiah Komalli, and Balakrishna Nallabothu.

Kullaiamma | Photo Credit: R_V_S_PRASAD
Kullaiamma | Photo Credit: R_V_S_PRASAD

Player to coach

Daughter of a farm-labourer couple of Kothapalli village, Kullaiamma was born with Intellectual disability (ID), also known as general learning disability, short of hearing and visual disability with extreme squint. But has won gold medals in badminton at Los Angeles in 2013 and in Australia in 2015. Unable to afford studies, Kullaiamma began working at a juice centre and took to tailoring to supplement the family income, but the Community-Based Rehabilitation Centre of Rural Development Trust (RDT) at Bathalapalli gave her a new lease of life.

Her talent was spotted by the RDT coaches and she began training in 2011. Today, Kullaiamma has graduated to assistant coach accompanying a six-member badminton team, part of the Indian contingent at the Special Olympics at Andorra and Spain.

Balakrishna | Photo Credit: R_V_S_PRASAD
Balakrishna | Photo Credit: R_V_S_PRASAD

Differently-abled Balakrishna (short of hearing and needs trainer to explain in sign language) from Marrireddipalli, is the son of a farm-labourer couple. The shuttler has three gold medals so far in his kitty. Studying at Industrial Training Institute, he wants to make it big in the international badminton arena. Their cradle is the state-of-the-art indoor badminton court at Bathalapalli and stadium at Anantapur which have produced several world-class players. After its inception in 2008, it produced gold medallists in 2009 Athens Special Olympics. Baba Fakruddin won a gold and a silver in athletics, while two girls were also there in the country’s contingent. They were born different but they made a big difference.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Ramesh Susarla / Anantapur – October 04th, 2018

Skydive, paraglide and scuba-dive in Visakhapatnam for an adrenaline fix

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Scuba divers exploring the wreck sites in the sea off Visakhapatnam | Photo Credit: By Arrangement
Scuba divers exploring the wreck sites in the sea off Visakhapatnam | Photo Credit: By Arrangement

Tourists visiting Visakhapatnam will soon get to admire the coastline from various angles. A series of tourism initiatives will offer different experiences to travellers and locals. Paragliding will start at the city’s iconic hilltop, Kailasagiri, giving adventure lovers a chance to glide over the cityscape and the Bay of Bengal.

On the occasion of World Tourism Day today, a demo will be held by the team at Livein Adventures. “We have three sets of tandem paragliders and six solo paragliders. The activity depends on the wind pattern. Participants will be in the air for about 15 minutes,” says Balaram Naidu of Livein Adventures. A tandem ride lets one enjoy the thrill of paragliding, without having to learn it. The trial runs by the team which were held earlier this week were a success. “The ideal wind speed is about seven to 13 kilometres per hour,” Balaram adds.

Trials for paragliding being carried out at Kailasagiri in Visakhapatnam | Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Trials for paragliding being carried out at Kailasagiri in Visakhapatnam | Photo Credit: Special arrangement

After last season’s find of two shipwrecks during scuba-diving explorations off the coast of Visakhapatnam, a team of three dive masters and one instructor is gearing up to search new areas under the ocean. The fresh explorations will be done along the coast of Yendada, Mangamaripeta, till the sea opposite Kailasagiri. The scuba-diving community across the globe has been excited about the recent discoveries. “On an average, we cater to 30 clients for scuba diving in a day during the season (October to February),” says Balaram. The bookings can be done online on Livein Adventures. A scuba-diving academy is underway at Chintapalli in Vizianagaram district and is expected to be operational by November.

Among other initiatives, a skydiving facility will come up by the Rushikonda coast. The initiative, that was recently announced by Himanshu Shukla, CEO-AP Tourism Authority, is a joint venture between Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) and Rajasthan-based Aero Sports Adventure Club. PTDC will support the adventure club by providing infrastructure. The thrill doesn’t end here. Re-launching of heli-tourism services by Visakhapatnam Metroplitan RegionDevelopment Authority is in the pipeline as well. The Ramakrishna Beach recently got a facelift with 100 coconut trees being planted on the three-kilometre sand stretch. Visakhapatnam district saw a footfall of over two crore tourists last year and the recent initiatives are expected to give a boost to its tourism sector.

Log onto: liveinadventures.com

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home>Life & Style> Travel / by Nivedita Ganguly / September 26th, 2018

CM felicitates Naval officer

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Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu falicitating Lieutenant Commander Patarlapallil Swati of the Indian Navy in Vijayawada on Thursday | Photo Credit: ARRANGED
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu falicitating Lieutenant Commander Patarlapallil Swati of the Indian Navy in Vijayawada on Thursday | Photo Credit: ARRANGED

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu felicitated Patarlapalli Swathi, who circumnavigated the globe on a sailing vessel.

Swathi, Lieutenant Commander in the Indian Navy, was part of six-member team that circumnavigated the globe in eight months. The team started its journey on September 10 last year and returned to Goa on May 21. The voyage is christened Navika Sagar Parikrama. She hails from Visakhapatnam.

Showering praises on Lt. Cdr. Swathi, Mr. Naidu said that the youth should take inspiration from her courage and valour. Her voyage remains in the history. Despite hardships she and her team succeeded , he said.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Andhra Pradesh / by Staff Reporter / Vijayawada – September 07th, 2018