Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said that very soon, mini-stadiums would come up in all the Assembly constituencies, with national and international coaches training the players.
Delivering his speech at the closing ceremony of the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad, the Chief Minister said two boxing academies would be established in the city, and an arena for Jallikattu would also be constructed. He told the audience that the State would host the ‘Chennai Open’ WTA International Championship, and was hoping to host the Asian Beach Games.
Mr. Stalin announced that a State and district-level ‘Chief Minister’s Trophy Games’ for traditional sports, Kabaddi and Silambattam, would be held soon. “Through this, new talent will be identified, and this will help many youngsters choose sports as their career path,” he added.
The Chief Minister said more effort would be put into showcasing indigenous sports at a global level. “We are making all efforts to get national recognition for Silambam, which was demonstrated before you during the inaugural ceremony. And from now, like any other player, those who achieve in Silmbam will also get rewarded by the State government,” he said.
According to the data provided by the Chief Minister, during last year 1,073 sportspersons from the State were honoured with a total cash award of ₹26.85 crore. He pointed out that many sportspersons who received this honour were from the field of chess. He said Tamil Nadu, over the next four years, would train 50 players, and a budget of ₹60 crore had been earmarked for this. In order to produce world-class athletes and Olympic medal winners from Tamil Nadu, a programme called ‘Olympic Gold Hunt’ was being implemented at an estimated cost of ₹25 crore. Mr. Stalin told the audience that he was very happy seeing positive comments about the event on social media, posted by players as well as coaches. He told the players, “It was a great opportunity for us to know and understand your nation, culture and heritage from you. You should all come to Chennai again. Don’t forget that you have a brother here.”
He appealed to the players to act as ambassadors of Tamil Nadu.
