CHENNAI: Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin distributed cash incentives to the tune of Rs 26.68 crore to 1,021 medal winning athletes at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Tuesday.
He laid the foundation for sports complexes across Tamil Nadu, an Olympic academy in Tiruchy, and the first Olympic water sports academy in Ramanathapuram, on a total cost of Rs 127.90 crore. Udhayanidhi also inaugurated an indoor sports complex in Tirupattur built at a cost of Rs 4.93 crore.
A release said a total of 4,352 medal-winning sports persons have been given cash incentives totalling Rs 142.85 crore from May 2021. SDAT also initiated various schemes for the welfare of athletes, including the Elite Sports Persons Scheme, Mission International Medals Scheme, Champions Development Scheme among others.
The event was attended by School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh and Arjuna Awardees Thulasimathi Murugesan and Sathiyan Gnanasekaran.