TN govt to upgrade sports infra, take up 'play for all' initiative: Minister Aadhav Arjuna

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday outlined an ambitious plan to upgrade sports infrastructure across the state and also take up "play for all" initiative to identify and upgrade 500 rural playgrounds.

Outlining the ambitious modernisation blueprint, state Sports Development Minister Aadhav Arjuna assured the Assembly that existing facilities are being redesigned to ensure year-round usability, alongside a fresh push to expand grassroots sports programmes.

Earlier, the lawmakers cutting across party lines, highlighting the state's current status of sports infrastructure, pressed for modern grounds, indoor stadiums, and employment quota for local athletes.

In response, the minister addressing concerns from Nanguneri constituency regarding a storage facility for sports equipment in Velavan Kudiyiruppu, said the project would be taken up through the Rural Development Department.

The minister unveiled a new "Play for All" initiative for 2026-27 aimed at identifying and upgrading 500 rural playgrounds across the state.

Following requests for an international-level football stadium in Tirupattur constituency and better playground upkeep in Sholavandan, Arjuna noted special schemes for under-resourced districts like Sivagangai, Paramakudi, and Tirunelveli.

The government is collaborating with the School Education Department to select one school in every district to serve as a flagship model for sports infrastructure, he said.

Responding to a call for an indoor Kabaddi stadium, the minister declared Kabaddi as the state's top sport. "To protect players from injuries, the government is transitioning training setups from mud grounds to synthetic indoor mats and integrating Kabaddi into upcoming state-level cultural and athletic tournaments," he said.

When BJP MLA M Bhojarajan raised concerns over the degraded state of government school grounds in Udhagamandalam and advocated for a hockey stadium in the Nilgiris district, Arjuna replied that work has already commenced on specialised high-altitude Olympic Centers in hilly areas of Kalvarayan Hills, Kallakurichi, and Udhagamandalam.

On a plea for establishing a sports ground and a compound wall in Keelvelur's Thirupoondi panchayat, the minister said plans were on to optimise unused school plots - some spanning 20 to 40 acres - for high-grade community sports hubs.

Former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami questioned the delay in completing a mini-stadium at Edappadi Boys Higher Secondary School in Salem, which had received an additional Rs 50 lakh from MP constituency development funds during the previous tenure.

"Work is currently stalled under the present administration. I request the government to complete this work quickly by allocating additional funds," he urged.

Arjuna clarified that work across 62 constituencies - including the Rs 3-crore Edappadi project - was temporarily paused to redesign outdated models.

"The previous model relied on 400-metre dirt tracks, rendering them unusable during Tamil Nadu's four rainy months," the minister explained.

"We are restructuring these projects with semi-sheds and higher quality standards to ensure 365-day usability," he added.

To a question from legislator E C R Saravanan, he replied that the recruitment under the three-per cent sports quota for state performers in Silambattam and Kabaddi will officially begin within a month.