A view of the SDAT Tennis stadium.

TN govt to provide funds for ATP event

The much beloved event moved out of the city after the 2017 edition to Pune, who have retained the license to hold the event since then.

CHENNAI: The Sports Development of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) have confirmed that the state government will provide funds for the conduct of an ATP tour event in the city. “We will provide funds to host the ATP Chennai Open in 2023,” the SDAT Twitter handle posted.

The much-beloved event moved out of the city after the 2017 edition to Pune, who have retained the license to hold the event since then. With there being no holes in the 2023 calendar, one wonders how the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA) will find a slot in the calendar. In fact, the ATP have already more or less firmed up next year’s schedule as well.

Meanwhile, the SDAT have confirmed that the city will host international hockey again after a gap of more than 15 years or so. The men’s Asian Champions Trophy, an event that’s been held six times since 2011, will be hosted at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium sometime in the second half of 2023. “Funds will be provided for the international hockey tournament set to take place in Chennai,” another tweet said.

In terms of international events, that’s not all. The government have announced funding to the tune of Rs 1.5 cr for the upcoming Squash World Cup which will be hosted in the city. The government also announced that a water sports academy will be set up in Ramanathapuram district, a first-of-its-kind initiative in the state. Speaking of Academy, a ‘world-class’ trap and skeet shooting range will also be set up in the near future.

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