Chennai, February 18 Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday said that Tamil Nadu is rapidly emerging as a global sports destination, as he laid the foundation stone for the Rs 261-crore ‘Global Sports City’ and handed government job orders to nearly 180 athletes.
Addressing the 'Champions of Tamil Nadu' event at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, which he described as a "triple jump" for the state’s sporting sector, Stalin said his government has moved sports from the "sidelines to the mainstream."
“In the last four and a half years, we have awarded Rs 172.80 crore in cash incentives to over 5,400 medalists. Today alone, we distributed Rs 33.81 crore to 1,172 athletes,” he said.
He highlighted that Tamil Nadu is a pioneer in India for providing para-athletes with cash incentives equal to able-bodied athletes, totalling nearly Rs 30 crore so far.
The foundation stone for the Global Sports City at Semmancheri was laid during the event. Built at an estimated cost of Rs 261 crore, the facility aims to provide world-class infrastructure across multiple sports disciplines.
“Chennai is already a global hub for chess, cricket, and hockey. This new Sports City will help us excel in other international sports as well,” Stalin said.
He added that after a decade-long gap in coach appointments, his administration has recently hired 76 coaches and announced 34 more instructor positions.
As part of a boost to the 3 per cent sports quota, the CM handed government job appointment orders to 178 athletes, including 62 para-athletes. He contrasted this with the previous administration, under which only five appointments were made under the quota before 2021.
Stalin advised students to treat “education and sports as two eyes,” invoking the philosophy of “Work while you work, play while you play.”
He described sports as a form of meditation that keeps youth away from negative habits and promotes a healthy, fit state.
“I want youth to see sports as a viable career. Winning once is not enough in today’s fast-moving world; you must win consistently. This applies to politics too—we must keep winning to keep serving,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, who holds the Sports portfolio, drew parallels between sportsmanship and governance.
“To create great talent, you need a great coach. In Indian politics today, we have the best coach in our chief minister. He has streamlined a department previously sidelined by former governments,” he said.
Udhayanidhi also noted that under Stalin’s leadership, Tamil Nadu achieved double-digit economic growth of 11.19 per cent, while many other states remain in single digits.
“On the field of governance, our CM is the ‘champion of champions,’” he added.
The event was attended by state ministers, Chennai Mayor R Priya, Chief Secretary N Muruganandam, and international athletes, including para-badminton player Jagadish Dilli and gymnast Sneha.
Actors Arya and Yogi Babu also participated.