Kaka Joga Rao, the talented Adivasi athlete from Lingapuram village in the border mandal of Dummugudem, faced the risk of losing the lifetime opportunity to get into his dream course due to poverty until a few days ago. But help came from Superintendent of Police Sunil Dutt, who donated ₹20,000 to Joga Rao enabling him to pay the admission fee at the National Sports University (NSU) in Manipur online within the stipulated time-frame.
The 19-year-old secured a seat in the four-year undergraduate programme in Sports Coaching at NSU based on merit after emerging successful in the entrance test, physical fitness/sports proficiency test and interview held recently, sources said.
However, the poor financial condition of his father, a small farmer, stood as a stumbling block to his ambition of studying the course.
His close associates, members of several Adivasi organisations and Dummugudem Circle Inspector of Police N. Venkateshwarlu took up the cause of the talented Adivasi athlete to help him join the prestigious institution. Various Adivasi organisations also donated some amount to support his academic pursuits, sources added.
Being aware of the sporting talent of Joga Rao, who excelled in several sports tournaments held in the Agency areas in the past, Mr Sunil Dutt extended immediate financial assistance in Bhadrachalam on Friday. The SP also assured to provide further assistance to the Adivasi youth to help him complete the four-year undergraduate course at the NSU.
“My lifetime ambition is to excel in athletics and also become a renowned coach in the international arena to bring fame to Telangana’s tribal heartland of Bhadrachalam Agency,” Joga Rao asserts, adding that he experienced a sense of uncertainty over his prospects of joining the NSU due to his parents’ inability to afford admission and other requisite fees to get into the degree course at the national institution. He is grateful to the SP for his timely assistance.
“I will study diligently and live up to the expectations of my parents and all my well-wishers, including sports lovers,” says Joga Rao, who participated in the national youth athletics championship held in New Delhi in 2018.
