CHENNAI: Sporting activities at IIT Madras are all set to get an upgrade with the inauguration of Sitara Indoor Sports Complex on the campus.

The indoor complex was inaugurated by table tennis champion Sharath Kamal, Davis Cup tennis player Somdev Devvarman, and Manisha Ramadoss, a Bronze medalist at the Paralympic Badminton Championship in Paris 2024.

“Sitara Indoor Sports Complex houses four state-of-the-art badminton courts, a gallery on the mezzanine floor, and multiple table tennis courts besides an open tennis court on the terrace,” a release from IIT-M read.

The facility was made possible due to philanthropic efforts of an anonymous donor, an alumnus of IIT Madras, it added.

The new complex supplements the institution's existing sports facilities, which include basketball, volleyball, football and cricket grounds, besides the Gymkhana Sports Complex, and a swimming pool.

Speaking during the inauguration of the indoor sports complex, V Kamakoti, Director of IIT-M said, “The day is not far off when IIT Madras will have an Olympian as an alumnus. Five national sports champions have been admitted under the ‘Sports Excellence Admission’ of IIT Madras, and we will surely be admitting many more sportspersons in this category. We will bring national champions and others with exceptional skills so that IIT Madras students get the opportunity to play with the best and improve their standards.”

It may be noted that IIT-Madras is the first IIT in the country to introduce admissions for sportspersons in its undergraduate programmes. The institute had introduced the ‘Sports Excellence Admission’ (SEA) in the current academic year of 2024-25.