No GHMC summer camps this year

The annual Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) summer coaching camps in different sports and games, has been cancelled this year.

According to B Rajendra Prasad, who took over as Director of Sports, GHMC, in March this year, it was not feasible to conduct the summer camps this year. “With the situation not improving, we have no other alternative but to cancel it this year. This will hurt many young trainees,’’ he said.

The one-month summer camps were scheduled to be held this year from April 25 in 38 disciplines in 522 grounds. But instead of summer camps, the GHMC grounds are mostly being used as temporary shelters for migrant workers.

“We have put all these migrant workers in different playgrounds. For instance we have 140 workers at the famous Victory playground. We supply them with food and other essential commodities. Likewise we have these migrant workers in other grounds like Exhibition grounds (320), Vijayanagar playground (60), Secunderabad playground (170), Lalapet PG (210), Uppal PG (70),’’ he said.

Over the years, the GHMC summer camps has been most popular



event in the summer in the city. Started by late L Venkatram Reddy in the 60s, it became most sought after event for the young boys and girls. The `catch them young’ programme was one of the most popular project of Reddy.

Prem Raj, former Director of Sports, said there was tremendous enthusiasm for the summer camps.

“Many talented sports persons from the city were spotted from these summer camps. It was one of the innovative projects of late Venkatram Reddy. He as a director showed lot of interest in making the young boys and girls to learn the game. The talented trainees were given intensive training. Some of them went on represent the state and the country,’’ he said.

Prem Raj said B V Gurumurthy swimming pool in Secunderabad was the most sought after camp by the trainees.

“Of course, volleyball, cricket, basketball, tennis, table tennis and many other games were played in over 700 camps. It is sad that because of coronavirus this year there will be no summer camps. It will be missed by the young trainees,’’ he said.