Vemulawada Hosts Major State-Level Kabaddi Tournament
Vemulawada in Rajanna Sircilla district witnessed four days of intense sporting action as the Vemulawada Junior Kabaddi Championship brought together young kabaddi talent from across Telangana.
The tournament was conducted from October 2 to October 5, 2026, at the Government Junior College grounds in Vemulawada.
According to reports, teams representing 33 districts participated, with a total of 68 boys’ and girls’ teams taking part in the state-level competition.
The Vemulawada Junior Kabaddi Championship also provided a significant platform for emerging players from rural and semi-urban areas to demonstrate their skills before coaches, officials and sports administrators.
Aadi Srinivas Leads Opening Ceremony
Government Whip and Vemulawada MLA Aadi Srinivas played a prominent role in the opening of the Vemulawada Junior Kabaddi Championship.
Aadi Srinivas, along with Rajanna Sircilla Superintendent of Police Mahesh B. Gite, formally inaugurated the competitions through a ceremonial lamp-lighting and Olympic sports flag ceremony.
Speaking about the importance of the tournament, Aadi Srinivas emphasized the need to encourage traditional rural sports such as kabaddi and create opportunities for talented youngsters to compete at higher levels.
He said competitions of this scale could help identify promising athletes from rural communities and provide them with a proper platform to develop their sporting careers. Reports also noted that approximately 1,300 players, coaches and physical-education personnel were associated with the tournament.
Ponnam Prabhakar Encourages Young Athletes
The concluding ceremony of the Vemulawada Junior Kabaddi Championship was attended by Telangana Transport and BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, along with Government Whip and Vemulawada MLA Aadi Srinivas.
The minister watched the final matches and presented prizes to the winning teams. He also joined the players on the kabaddi court along with Aadi Srinivas, creating an enthusiastic atmosphere among the athletes and spectators.
Ponnam Prabhakar highlighted the importance of encouraging children to move away from excessive screen-based entertainment and participate in outdoor sports.
He stressed that sporting activity can contribute to physical fitness, mental well-being, discipline and confidence.
He also referred to initiatives being undertaken by the Telangana government to strengthen the state’s sporting ecosystem, including the Young India Sports University and the CM Cup, with the broader objective of developing athletes capable of representing Telangana and India at major national and international competitions.
Telangana Kabaddi Association’s Role
The Vemulawada Junior Kabaddi Championship was conducted with the involvement of the Telangana Kabaddi Association and local district-level sporting bodies.
M. Mahender Reddy, General Secretary of the Telangana Kabaddi Association, was among the key association representatives associated with the tournament proceedings.
The Telangana Kabaddi Association lists Mahender Reddy as its General Secretary, while Kasani Veeresh Mudiraj serves as president.
The association’s involvement underlined the importance of organized competition in identifying and developing young kabaddi players across Telangana.
Competitive Finals Produce New Champions
The final day of the Vemulawada Junior Kabaddi Championship witnessed closely contested matches in both the boys’ and girls’ categories.
In the girls’ final, the Bhadradri Kothagudem district team defeated Khammam to claim the championship. In the boys’ final, Nalgonda defeated Wanaparthy to secure the top position.
The results demonstrated the depth of kabaddi talent emerging from different parts of Telangana and highlighted the competitive nature of district-level sporting development in the state.
Kabaddi as a Platform for Rural Talent
The Vemulawada Junior Kabaddi Championship was significant beyond the results on the scoreboard.
Kabaddi has traditionally enjoyed strong popularity in Telangana’s rural communities, where local competitions have played an important role in discovering young athletes.
Aadi Srinivas emphasized that sports can teach youngsters discipline, confidence and leadership qualities while helping them maintain physical fitness.
He also called upon parents to encourage children to participate in sports rather than limiting their activities to academics and digital entertainment.
The Vemulawada Junior Kabaddi Championship therefore served as both a competitive tournament and a platform for identifying grassroots sporting talent.
Four Days of Sporting Spirit in Vemulawada
With teams from across Telangana, the Vemulawada Junior Kabaddi Championship transformed the town into a hub of youth sporting activity for four days.
The participation of 68 teams and more than 1,300 athletes and sports personnel demonstrated the scale of interest in kabaddi across the state.
Organizers also made arrangements for accommodation, food and other requirements for participating teams and officials.
The successful completion of the Vemulawada Junior Kabaddi Championship is expected to further strengthen the sporting culture in Rajanna Sircilla and provide young athletes with greater exposure to competitive kabaddi.
The event concluded with recognition for the winning teams and appreciation for the players, coaches, officials, organizers and sporting associations whose efforts contributed to the successful conduct of the four-day championship.
The Vemulawada Junior Kabaddi Championship has once again demonstrated how grassroots sporting events can bring together young talent from across Telangana while creating a pathway for promising athletes to progress to higher levels of competition.
Rahul Bhosle is an experienced investigative reporter known for his rigorous fact‑gathering and clear, precise storytelling. With a firm commitment to journalistic integrity, he delivers deeply researched, unbiased coverage across beats—including politics, social issues, and urban development.