Centres of excellence planned to promote water sports

“Sailing is one of the sports where Olympic medal prospects are high. Taking advantage of the long coastline of 1,087 km in the state, the government has sanctioned Rs 700 lakh for the establishment of sailing academy and center of excellence in sailing in Chennai,” said Meyyanathan and pointed out that three sailors from Tamil Nadu NKC Ganapathy, Varun Thakkar, and Nethra Kumanan, represented India in the recently held Tokyo Olympics.

The Minister also said that canoeing and kayaking were other water sports where Olympic medal prospects were high and in order to promote and encourage young talents in these disciplines, the state government has sanctioned Rs 258.1 lakh for the establishment of a center of excellence for canoeing and kayaking near the campus of Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University in Melakottaiyur, in Chennai.

The Minister further said that a high-altitude training center was being established at Udhagamandalam at a cost of Rs 500 lakh. “Training at high altitude will increase the stamina and produce positive effects on the performance of the sportspersons. Further, training at a high altitude prior to participation in competitions will yield good results. It is a unique project in the country wherein sports persons can undergo training throughout the year,” said the Minister.

To encourage broad-based sporting activities throughout the state, it has been decided to establish mini stadia in all the Assembly constituencies at Rs 3 crore.