Hon’ble Chief Guest, Dr. Pullela Gopichand; distinguished members of the HPS Society and the Board of Governors, members of the Media, guests, parents, staff and my dear students, I welcome one and all to one of the most important events in our school calendar – the Annual Sports Day.

Winter at HPS is a season that brims with excitement and anticipation, thanks to our much-awaited Annual Sports Day. During this event, students from all four Houses engage in spirited competition, all vying for the prestigious Championship Shield, a symbol of overall excellence. Adding to the grandeur of this occasion, we are honored to have with us today a true legend in the world of Indian badminton—Dr. Pullela Gopichand.

Dr. Gopichand was born on November 16, in Chirala Town, Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh. His journey into the world of sports is a tale of fate and destiny. While cricket initially captured his youthful imagination, it was the guidance of his elder brother that steered him towards a remarkable career in badminton.

After relocating to Hyderabad, he pursued his education at St. Paul’s High School in Hyderabad. Later, while graduating in public administration at A. V. College, he had the distinct honor of captaining the Indian combined universities badminton team for two consecutive years, in 1990 and 1991.

Dr. Gopichand’s journey in the world of badminton reached its first major milestone in 1996 when he secured his first National Badminton Championship title. This victory marked the beginning of his illustrious career.

On the national stage; he proudly represented India in three Thomas Cup tournaments and clinched a gold medal in the SAARC badminton tournament in 1996. In the following year, he successfully defended his title in Colombo. However, the pinnacle of his career came in 2001 when he stood victorious at the All England Open Badminton Championships in Birmingham, following in the footsteps of his mentor, the legendary Prakash Padukone.

While Dr. Gopichand’s individual achievements are commendable, his accolades and contributions to the sport extended beyond the court. He was honored with the prestigious Arjuna Award in 1999. A decade later, in 2009, he was bestowed with the Dronacharya Award for his outstanding coaching prowess. In 2014, the nation recognized his contributions by awarding him the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honor.

Beyond the world of badminton, Dr. Gopichand’s life is enriched by diverse interests and hobbies. In 2002, he embarked on a beautiful journey of life with fellow badminton player P. V. V. Lakshmi. The couple is blessed with two children—a daughter Gayathri and a son Vishnu.

Dr. Pullela Gopichand’s story is an inspiration to all, and his contributions to the sport of badminton and to India as a whole are immeasurable.

Sir we welcome you to our midst!

As we gather here today to mark the glorious occasion of our Annual Sports Day, I
am honoured to reflect upon the remarkable journey our school has undertaken.

Over the past century, our school has made significant strides in this endeavor. Today, our school’s name resonates widely and is esteemed as one of the finest educational institutions. As soccer legend Mia Hamm once wisely stated, and I quote, “Celebrate what you’ve accomplished, but raise the bar a little higher each time you succeed.” Unquote. On this auspicious occasion, I extend my heartfelt praise and congratulations to our sports teams and their dedicated coaches. Their relentless effort on the field is unmistakable, continually raising the standard for our overall performance and our students’ endurance.

Our school teams have brought honor and distinction to us in the All India IPSC / CISCE – AP & Telangana Regional and National Sports meet for the year 2023-24.

A total of 435 students from various disciplines and categories enthusiastically participated in the CISCE Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Regional Sports Meet. This event saw the participation of 54 teams in diverse games categories, showcasing the fervour for sports among the students. Of these talented athletes, 106 students were selected to represent HPS at the CISCE Nationals.

Moreover, a couple of our students achieved the remarkable feat of being selected for the SGFI Nationals, marking a significant achievement in their sporting journey. These achievements reflect the commitment and hard work of our students, who have traveled across 10 different states of our country to compete in sports tournaments, showcasing their prowess and sportsmanship at a national level.

Today, we gather here to commemorate the numerous successes and triumphs achieved by the students of The Hyderabad Public School, Begumpet, in the previous year. These are indeed moments that deserve to be treasured and celebrated.

At the CISCE AP & Telangana Regional Tournament, the U/14 and U/17 girls’ teams secured both the winner and runner-up positions simultaneously.

Duaa Ahmed, Olivia Charan, and P Lakshya from the U/14 girls’ team, as well as Parnika, S S Samitha Reddy, and Hasitha Reddy M from the U/17 girls’ team, were selected to represent the school at the CISCE Nationals and secured a 3rd place.

In the boys’ U/14 category, our school earned the runner-up position, with Manvith, Shriyan, and Sai Manikanta from the U/14 boys’ team, along with Sai Dhairyha Mani from the U/17 boys’ team, making it to the CISCE Nationals.
Additionally, in the School Games Federation of Hyderabad Basketball Tournament, our school teams achieved victory in the U/14 boys and girls categories, further solidifying our reputation as a hub of emerging talent in the sporting arena.

In the field of cricket, both our girls’ teams in the U/17 and U/19 categories secured the prestigious second runner-up position.

Notably, in the U/17 girls’ category, Rashmika Velugubanti, Samhita Reddy SS, Siya, and Tridula displayed outstanding performances, earning them the privilege of representing our school at the CISCE Nationals.

I wish to proudly announce that Tridula has been selected to represent the combined CISCE All India team to participate in the SGFI National games.

On the boys’ cricket front, the U/14 boys’ team emerged as winners, a demonstration of the dedication and skills of Kavin, Nikhil.M, Shourya, and Aadithya. In the U/17 boys’ category, Kavya Zain stood out with a spectacular performance.

The U/19 boys’ team secured the second runner-up position through the exceptional contributions of Sahil Sisodia, Smaran.K, and Mirza Majaaz Baig and this has led to them being selected for the prestigious CISCE Nationals.

We take pride in sharing that 2 boys in the U/14, 2 boys in U/17 and 5 girls in the U/17 category have been selected to participate in the SGFI Inter District Cricket Tournament.

Shristi and Sanvi, who were part of our school’s U/17 girls cricket team, showcased their talent in the AP and Telangana region CISCE cricket competition, securing a commendable 3rd place. Following this, they earned a well-deserved spot on the prestigious CISCE Nationals team and went on to clinch the gold medal. Notably, Shristi emerged as the standout performer with an impressive strike rate of 400. Her remarkable performance led to her selection for the SGFI Nationals.

In the realm of hockey, our U/14 & U/17 boys emerged winners and in the U/19 category secured the runner-up position.

As a result of their exceptional performance, B. Sairam, Adithya, Sai Chand, Keshava, Anudeep, Sathvik, and Khyathi from the U/14 category; P. Mukkanti, Manikanta Bhukya, Sanjay Gaisani, Anvith Reddy, Thrigun Byreeka, and Vinay Kumar J Shiva Mani from the U/17 category; and Sanjay Puthala, Shlok Vardhan K, Sai Karan Jillala, and Azzaan Altaf Fareed from the U/19 category have earned the opportunity to represent our school at the CISCE Nationals.

P. Mukkanti & B. Sairam have been selected to represent the combined CISCE All India team to participate in the SGFI National games.

LAWN TENNIS

In the domain of U/19 lawn tennis, three of our students – Siddharth Kotturu, Amaan Ali Khan, and Rashmika Velugubanti, have earned the distinction of representing our school at the prestigious CISCE Nationals.

Our school’s swimming team has left an indelible mark by bagging 21 gold, 7 silver, and 12 bronze medals in the U/14, U/17, and U/19 boys and girls categories.

Among the standout athletes, Bishkha Das in the U/14 girls category, and Aadya Agarwal, Noopur P, Lipika Pallem, and T.S. Tejas Kumar, as well as K. Dheeraj Kumar from the U/14 boys category, and Aatulya N, Vikram Aditya, and Karan Chibba from the U/19 boys category, have been selected to represent our school at the CISCE Nationals.

Notably, in the CISCE Swimming Nationals, Master T.S. Tejas Kumar showcased extraordinary talent by securing 3 gold medals and was crowned the overall champion. His exceptional achievements have also earned him the privilege of representing the school at the combined CISCE All India team to participate in the SGFI National games.

Meenakshi T of class 11 has been selected to represent the combined CISCE All India throwball team to participate in the SGFI Nationals.

In the field of yoga, our students clinched 3 gold, 2 silver, and a bronze medal in the CISCE AP & Telangana Regional Meet. The exceptional performances of Shlok Vardhan, Saatvik, Charan, Lakshmi, Eshitva, Ashritha, Dilisha, and Devansh earned them well-deserved spots to represent our region at the CISCE Nationals.

In the CISCE Yoga Olympiad – Greeshma Saavi from class 9 and Manvith from class 7 were selected to represent Telangana at the pre-national Yoga Olympiad held in Kolkata on May 22, 2023.