CHENNAI: Will 2023 turn out to be the year for sports and sportspersons in Tamil Nadu? The state budget that comes barely three months after Udhayanidhi Stalin took the reins as the minister for youth welfare and sports development is likely to breathe new life into the sector.
The sector, which was allocated Rs 293.2 crore in last budget, is keenly awaiting more funds for improving the existing sports infrastructure and creating more modern, state-of-the-art facilities across the state. The Sports Development Authority (SDA) is now working on a slew of measures.
Speaking to TNIE, Meghanath Reddy, member secretary, SDA, said the department will call for expression of interest for the mega sports city project in Chennai that was announced by the chief minister in April last year, shortly. In addition, it is also working towards improving stadia infrastructure including the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai where amenities like lighting and seating capacity are set to be improved. Renovation of district sports complexes, stadia and mini stadia in each assembly constituency is in the pipeline.
A dedicated centre for sports science in Chennai is likely to be set up to help improve the performance of sportspersons and minimise injury. Using biomechanics, quantitative analysis of physical movements, the mind and the rhythm can be analysed through a battery of tests.
“This allows sportspersons to gauge their strengths and weaknesses, where their pressure points are and will also help them in the strength conditioning and physiotherapy aspects,” Meghanath said. While the department now has an MoU with a private medical institute for this which they plan on continuing, the new dedicated centre will function parallelly. The department is also working to come up with their own version of the Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), a programme that helps athletes from the country win Olympic medals, for which the selection of foreign coaches is underway.
C Latha, secretary of the Tamil Nadu Athletics Association, said that if the upcoming budget is to focus on sports infrastructure, it would be in line with the demands of athletes in the State. “The synthetic track in Madurai needs relaying; it is in poor condition and no championships can be held there. The track in Coimbatore was re-laid recently after we raised concerns. Even in Nehru stadium, the long jump pits need some work,” she said, adding that athletic equipment can be included in synthetic tracks.
While the state government has initiatives like special scholarships for elite sportspersons (ELITE) and Mission International Meda Scheme (MIMS) already running for sportspersons with potential, there must also be a focus on talent identification at the grassroots to draw more people into sports, say coaches.
Indira D, an Olympian coach, said the efforts of coaches should be recognised and appreciated in order to motivate them to do more and better. “We are turning towards foreign coaches and it is not wrong but there are talented coaches here also and who, with some support, can bring the same results. Sometimes, even a word of praise or recognition from the government go a long way,” she said.