Rural Extravaganza Kicks off Amidst Fanfare
Union Minister Dr T Subbarami Reddy and State Minister Shabbir
Ali Mohd launch CIFA-Thums Up Rural Games 2007
• CIFA-Thums Up Rural Games
to cover 32 centers in three states this year, including
Karnataka and Maharashtra
• Subbarami Reddy offers complete help from the central government
to the Rural Games
• Games Torch lit by Olympian Mulini Reddy
• Various government agencies to impart skills and provide
information to villagers
• Free Health Camps and Eye Test Camps to be conducted for
the benefit of participants
Hyderabad, 28th April, 2007: Amidst thunderous
applause by hundreds of farmers, dignitaries and school children
who
gathered from different parts of the state, the CIFA-Thums
Up Rural Games 2007 got off to a colourful start at the L.B
Stadium here today. Dr. T. Subbarami Reddy, Union Minister
of State for Mines, and Shri Shabbir Ali Mohd, State Minister
for Energy, Coal,
Minorities Welfare, Wakf & Urudu Academies, accompanied
by AICC member Gudur Narayana Reddy, inaugurated the CIFA-Thums
Up Rural Games 2007 by lighting the traditional lamp.
Smt. Mulini Reddy, veteran Olympian and
Arjuna Awardee
and Sri. Atul Singh, President, Coca-Cola India, lit the
symbolic torch of CIFA-Thums Up Rural Games 2007 and handed
it over to Dr. T. Subbarami Reddy.
Speaking on the occasion Dr Subbarami
Reddy said, “the
Rural Games is a great initiative and the credit goes to
the Hindustan Coca- Cola Beverages and Consortium of Indian
Farmers Associations (CIFA). Demonstrating its commitment
to the communities it operates, Coca-Cola India has been
organizing various programmes as part of its social responsibility
programme and the Rural Games is going to go places with
the Games moving to two more states from this year.”
Shri Shabbir Ali Mohd said, “the CIFA-Thums
Up Rural Games are going to have major impact on the rural
communities
as it grows bigger and bigger".
Emphasizing the need for recognizing
the rural vigor and channelizing the energies of youth
towards constructive activities,
Sri P. Chengal Reddy, Secretary General, Consortium of Indian
Farmers Association (CIFA) said “we are delighted that
the small steps we took alongwith Coca-Cola last year are
beginning to create enthusiasm amongst the villagers across
the State and look forward to have more similar experiences
together in the years to come.”
Reaffriming the company's commitment
towards communities around the country, Atul Singh said, “the
first edition of CIFA-Thums Up Rural Games met with great
success and that
encouraged us to stage this event in more states." He
added, “I also wish to thank the Government of
Andhra Pradesh for its invaluable support in helping to create
unique public-private partnerships that will ensure that
a range of services, ranging from skills development to knowledge
enhancement, are extended to the villagers”.
The second editon of CIFA-Thums Up Rural Games will now
move to 19 venues in 14 districts over the next 40 days where
rural folk will vie for honours in a variety of traditional
sporting activities and games such as sack-carrying race,
kabbadi, tug-of-war etc. The winners of the first leg of
contests at the district level will challenge each other
at the state level grand finale scheduled for the first week
of June.
The CIFA-Thums Up Rural Games will move
on to cover six centres each in Karnataka and Maharashtra
after the conclusion
of the Andhra Pradesh leg of the event.
To mark the occassion, an on-the-spot drawing contest was
conducted at the venue. It received an overwhelming response
from hundreds of budding artists who lent expression to their
sentiments reinforcing the spirit of the CIFA-Thums Up Rural
Games. The winners were decided by a jury comprising eminent
artist Asha Radhika and Dr Suresh, president of the Osmania
Medical College Doctors Association.
For further information please contact:
Bapujee/Neha/Rahul, Hanmer & Partners: 040-66324621/64506905