HYDERABAD: Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Tuesday said that the state government aims to encourage youth and students to move away from harmful habits and actively participate in sports activities. Vikramarka was addressing the gathering after launching the Chief Minister’s Cup 2025-26 app ‘Nilamani’ at the Secretariat in the presence of Sports Minister Vakiti Srihari and Sports Authority of Telangana chairman Shiva Sena Reddy. “The state sports department is organising the CM’s Cup events with an aim to identify hidden sporting talent in rural areas. The deputy chief minister lauded the introduction of a 24/7 AI-enabled call centre through the Nilamani app, which provides real-time information and updates to athletes under the CM’s Cup initiative. “Competitions in over 44 disciplines are being conducted on a large scale in 12 districts,” he added.

Source: Indian Express February 18, 2026 10:00 UTC