Indian Olympic Association president P.T. Usha on Thursday said sports played an important role in shaping an individual’s character.Speaking after lighting the torch that marked the beginning of a three-day national-level sports fest UDGAM 25, organised by SRM University-AP, Ms. Usha said sports inculcated discipline, persistence and resilience and instilled the spirit of never giving up in the face of adversity.The event would witness over 40 competitions with the participation of more than 2,000 students and the winners would take home prizes worth ₹10 lakh.Vice-Chancellor Manoj K. Arora said the institute would nurture athletes and help them emerge as future champions by providing them all the required facilities and infrastructure.Sporting personalities such as Jessie Raj, retired Army officer V. Prasad Reddy and Akula Hyma were felicitated on the occasion. Registrar R. Premkumar, Director of Sports and Campus Life Management Anup Kumar Suryavanshi, Assistant Director Sushmita Kumari, faculty, staff and students were present.Meets NaiduMs. Usha met Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday. In a post on X, Mr. Naidu said it was a pleasure to meet Ms. Usha.“We had a great discussion on our new sports policy and our vision to support athletes,” he said, “I expressed our desire for Andhra Pradesh to host the National Games in 2029 and sought her support in bringing a Sports Authority of India Regional Centre to the State,” he said.Mr. Naidu said they also discussed plans to establish a National Centre of Excellence and develop a Sports City in Amaravati. The State government wsas committed to providing the best opportunities for our talented young athletes, he said.Published - February 28, 2025 08:59 am IST