
CHENNAI: Tambaram is among the 19 constituencies that will soon have a mini stadium worth Rs 3 crore. Tenders have been floated and work is set to begin soon, said officials.
The stadium will have a running track, gallery, changing rooms, courts for football, volleyball, basketball, kabaddi and kho-kho along with a gym.
Vigneshwaran E, a Tambaram-based physical education specialist said Tambaram and Pallavaram region have produced several national-level kabaddi players.
“Kabaddi is the most popular sport here followed by football. The Tambaram East Railway ground is the only large ground here, spread across 6.5 acres. Other than that, there is very little here in terms of sporting facilities. The mini stadium will definitely provide a much-needed boost to sports in the region,” he said. The facility will come up in the Irumbuliyur area. A Tambaram councillor who did not want to be named said there was also a growing need for athletics infrastructure which is accessible to the public.
J Meghanatha Reddy, member secretary of Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), said individual tenders have been floated for the 19 mini stadia across the state, including in Tambaram. The mini stadia were, in the first phase, announced at 10 locations in 2022-2023.
“The construction in all of these locations is nearly complete,” said Reddy.
Subsequently, 22 locations were finalised across the state in the next phase for which G.O.s have been issued for 19 mini stadia and tenders have been floated. This new batch includes Dharapuram in Tiruppur, Melur in Madurai, Uthiramerur in Kancheepuram, Oddanchatram in Dindigul and Kalasapakkam in Tiruvannamalai. A mini stadium-Jallikattu arena at Sooriyur village in Tiruchy is also in the pipeline.
The facilities are being constructed as part of a budget announcement in 2021-2022 to cover all Assembly constituencies which do not have sporting facilities.