A significant event took place yesterday at the Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, where special initiatives for sports development were highlighted.During the event, the foundation stones for two major sports projects were laid via video conference: a sports complex in Ranipet district costing Rs. 15 crores and an Olympic academy in Madurai at a cost of Rs. 6 crores.
Additionally, 553 athletes residing in sports development authority hostels received ‘Champions Kits,’ containing essential sports equipment.
Speaking at the event, officials emphasized the importance of nurturing student-athletes who excel academically and athletically. To this end, it was noted that sports hostels serve as platforms that provide opportunities for students to witness and participate in national and state-level competitions.
“Whatever you aspire to achieve in sports, do not hesitate due to financial constraints. The Tamil Nadu Champions Foundation is here to support you. So far, we have extended assistance worth Rs. 14 crores to over 600 individuals,” an official stated. “Make use of this support to excel and help position Tamil Nadu as the sports capital of the country. Every victory you achieve contributes to the pride of the state and the nation,” he added.
The event saw the participation of Atulya Misra, Secretary of Youth Welfare and Sports Development, and Meghnath Reddy, Member Secretary of the Sports Development Authority, among others.
A prize distribution ceremony for participants of the Indian Super Classical Chess Tournament, ‘Chennai Grandmasters 2024,’ was also held in Chennai last night.
In the ‘Chess Masters’ category, Aravindh Chithambaram emerged as the champion after qualifying for the final match. In the newly introduced ‘Challengers’ category, Pranav claimed the championship title.
The event was attended by Atulya Misra, Additional Chief Secretary of the Youth Welfare and Sports Department, Meghnath Reddy, members of the Sports Development Authority, Grandmasters including Viswanathan Anand, Gukesh, CEO of ChessBase India Sagar Shah, Grandmaster Srinath Narayanan, and other notable chess players.