CHENNAI: Aadhav Arjuna, the sports minister of Tamil Nadu, visited the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in the city on Monday morning along with J Meghanatha Reddy, IAS, member secretary SDAT. He visited the volleyball courts, football facility, skating rink where children were practising and interacted with them. He also visited the badminton facility and checked out the various construction work going on for outdoor basketball and so on.
Arjuna, who is also the secretary of the Tamil Nadu Olympic Association, said that Tamil Nadu should strive to host the National Games in the near future.
"Even a small State like Uttarakhand has hosted the National Games. We will engage with the Central Government and in consultation with the Chief Minister, develop infrastructure across districts and prepare to host the National Games," Arjuna said
A former basketball player himself, Arjuna stressed on the need to develop infrastructure and make the children take up sports. The 44-year-old is the president of the Basketball Federation of India and had been promoting basketball in the state even before he became a sports minister. He is also a former Sports Hostel student in the city and thus, he understands the needs of athletes.
"Sport is as important as education. That is the vision of the Chief Minister. Under the leadership of the CM (C Joseph Vijay), we have begun an excellent journey of governance through the Cabinet. We inquired and reviewed the ongoing construction works here, the quality of hostel food, and the needs of athletes and coaches," said Arjuna.
He expressed concerns over rising drug culture in the state and believed that sports could put the youth back on track. "The reason sports assume importance today is the rising consumption of drugs and alcohol among youth. Brazil faced a similar challenge. The government promoted sports and organised the FIFA World Cup. Young people spent their time and energy on sports, and football eventually became a major force in the country. For any developing nation, sport can be an important tool to channel youth energy constructively. It also plays an important role in generating employment," he added.
He said that he'll look to raise awareness by bringing in better facilities for Olympic sports across the state. "The infrastructure in Tamil Nadu is not up to international standards. We will develop facilities in all districts and zones, and ensure awareness about Olympic sports is introduced to children from the age of 6 to 8 years," he signed off.
