TN’s first centre of excellence for weightlifting opened

The tiny hamlet has produced a number of national and international weightlifters, the most recent being Sathish Kumar Sivalingam, a gold medal winner at the 2014 Commonwealth games in Glasgow. 

The decision to set up the centre was announced by the late chief minister J Jayalalithaa in the state Assembly in June 2016. 

Built at an expense of Rs 2.45 crore, the centre has facilities for conducting international weightlifting events, latest training equipment and a multi-purpose training hall, officials said. 

Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) will select 25 boys and girls each, who will stay and both train and study in this centre, they added. The centre will have separate rooms for boys and girls, kitchens, dining halls and study rooms, they added. The facility also has a special medical room to treat athletes’ injuries. 

Vellore district collector SA Raman, SDAT DGM R Rajamahendran, district sports officer S Ramesh and weightlifting coaches, L Vinayagamurthy and R Kavitha, were present during the occasion.