Megapolis Chennai | Harnessing the waves: City’s rise as India’s blue sports capital

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu’s emergence as a national leader in marine and coastal sports reflects its commitment to inclusive growth and youth empowerment. By using sport as a medium for opportunity and transformation, the State has positioned itself as a genuine “sports superpower”.

Under the leadership of Chief Minister MK Stalin, the State is achieving global recognition through water and beach sports.

With its 40-km coastline stretching from Marina to Mahabalipuram, Chennai has become a natural corridor for the convergence of sport, tourism and economic opportunity. The city’s maritime heritage, moderate weather and yearround navigable waters make it ideal for disciplines such as sailing, surfing and triathlon. Each event held along this coast now represents more than competition; it embodies the partnership between sport, economy and ecology.

It is estimated that more than 2,000 athletes and visitors took part in major coastal sports events over the past year, generating direct and indirect employment for over 3,000 youth as lifeguards, volunteers, coaches and technical staff.

The Tamil Nadu Sailing Association (TNSA), under the stewardship of Ashok Thakkar, has been instrumental in shaping India’s sailing landscape. This year’s Asian Sailing Federation Cup will draw over 100 boats and sailors from 11 countries, including seven Asian nations.

The India International Regatta that TNSA organised for 10 consecutive years has produced some of India’s finest sailors and helped Tamil Nadu athletes shine on the global stage, among them KC Ganapathy, Varun Thakkar and Nethra Kumanan, the first Indian woman sailor to qualify for the Olympics. Collaboration between TNSA, the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) and the Royal Madras Yacht Club, led by Captain Vivek Shanbagh, has ensured structured, worldclass support for the sport.

With Tamil Nadu’s first dedicated Sailing Academy now taking shape in Chennai, the State is poised to emerge as South Asia’s premier hub for training, competition and youth engagement in sailing and yachting.

The rise of surfing has been equally remarkable. Over the past four years, the government’s consistent backing of the Tamil Nadu Surfing Association has propelled the sport into national prominence.

The recent Asian Surfing Championship at Mahabalipuram captured this progress vividly. At the closing ceremony, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said that Tamil Nadu now leads the country in the number of surfing champions and Indian team members. The results bore this out: India finished third overall, with Ramesh Budhihal reaching the men’s open final, while Kovalam surfers Kishore and Srikanth advanced to the semi-final, and Harish from Mahabalipuram reached the quarter-final.

These are not just individual milestones, they reflect how coastal youth, particularly from fishing communities, are now connecting to a global sporting network.

The annual International Surfing Festival, jointly organised by SDAT and TNSA under the leadership of Arun Vasu, has further cemented Mahabalipuram’s reputation as an international surf destination, attracting competitors from over a dozen countries each year.

Chennai has also established itself as a centre for endurance and triathlon events. The SDAT Chennai Triathlon Asia Cup 2025 saw 100 Indian and 55 international athletes compete along Marina Beach. The city is also set to host IRONMAN weekend in January 2026, featuring around 1,000 athletes from six to ten countries.

Our beaches are fast transforming into multi-sport venues. The World Beach Volleyball League at Mahabalipuram drew wide international participation, and beach volleyball has already been integrated into the Chief Minister’s Trophy Games with regular tournaments along Chennai’s coast.

The economic contribution of these efforts is measurable. Every major event attracts hundreds of participants and visitors, fuelling demand for hotels, transport, catering and local retail. More importantly, such events build social capital.

The road ahead lies in developing a Chennai Coastal Sports Corridor, linking Marina, Tiruvanmiyur, the East Coast Road, Kovalam, and Mahabalipuram as dedicated sports and recreation hubs. Through coordinated planning by SDAT, sports associations and private partners, this corridor can anchor Tamil Nadu’s ambition to become South Asia’s leading Blue Sports Capital.

A proposed Blue Sports Innovation Fund could further support start-ups in marine technology, sports equipment and event sustainability, ensuring that every rupee invested in sport strengthens both the economy and the environment.

From the sails at Chennai Marina to the surf at Mahabalipuram and the runners on Eliot’s Beach, Tamil Nadu is harnessing the waves, turning its shores into a vibrant symbol of India’s Blue Economy and an inclusive sporting future.