Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, Udhayanidhi Stalin, Distributes Sports Equipment to 589 Village Panchayats in Tanjore District, Kumbakonam

Aizawl : The Honorable Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin, distributed 736 sets of sports equipment to 589 village panchayats in Tanjore district during the grand event of the “Chief Minister’s Trophy 2024” held in Kumbakonam. He also presented awards to the winners of various competitions at the district level.

Following this event, the Honorable Minister commenced the distribution of 1651 sets of sports equipment to 1361 village panchayats across Pudukkottai, Mayiladuthurai, Thiruvarur, and Nagapattinam districts, via video conference.

Honorable Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin dedicated this initiative to the centenary celebration of Dr. Kalaignar M. Karunanidhi and launched the “Dr. Kalaignar Sports Equipment Distribution Scheme” for rural village panchayats across Tamil Nadu. As part of this scheme, today (26.09.2024), 736 sets of sports equipment were distributed to 589 village panchayats in Tanjore district, and awards were presented to winners of district-level competitions during the Chief Minister’s Trophy 2024 event in Kumbakonam.

Following this, via video conference, the Honorable Minister distributed 608 sets of sports equipment to 497 village panchayats in Pudukkottai, 311 sets to 241 panchayats in Mayiladuthurai, 492 sets to 430 panchayats in Thiruvarur, and 240 sets to 193 panchayats in Nagapattinam, totaling 1651 sets of sports equipment for 1361 village panchayats across these districts.

At the event, the Honorable Minister expressed his delight and pride in providing these sports equipment to the village panchayats of Tanjore, Thiruvarur, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, and Pudukkottai districts under the “Dr. Kalaignar Sports Equipment Distribution Scheme.” He also highlighted that the distribution of sports equipment, valued at Rs. 86 crores, for all 12,525 village panchayats in Tamil Nadu began in February this year. The scheme is now being extended to village panchayats across 13 districts in the state.

The 45th Chess Olympiad was held this year in Hungary, where the Indian men’s and women’s teams secured gold medals. Tamil Nadu’s own Thambi Mayaramkish played decisively in the final match, ensuring India’s gold victory. Additionally, our Grandmasters, Thambi Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali, and Srinath Narayanan, played a significant role in the Indian team’s success.

Upon their return to the country the day before, our Chief Minister warmly welcomed them and announced a high reward of Rs. 90 lakh as an encouragement for their achievement. Following this, six para-athletes from Tamil Nadu participated in the recent Paris Paralympic Games. Prior to the event, the athletes were given a financial aid of Rs. 5 lakh each in Chennai, which was later increased to Rs. 7 lakh. The Chief Minister personally awarded this incentive before their departure.

Among the six athletes, Dheesimathi, Manisha, Nithyasree, and Mariappan Thangavelu won medals, securing four medals in total. Dheesimathi, who won the silver medal, received Rs. 2 crore, while Manisha, Nithyasree, and Thambi Mariappan, who won bronze medals, were each awarded Rs. 1 crore, with a total of Rs. 5 crore being presented as encouragement by our Chief Minister.

In an event that drew global attention, Chennai hosted the successful Formula 4 Night Car Race for the first time in Asia last month. Additionally, in January, Tamil Nadu hosted the Khelo India Youth Games for the first time in the state’s history. With a total of 98 medals—38 gold, 21 silver, and 39 bronze—Tamil Nadu secured second place nationally.

Our Sports Development Department has garnered widespread praise for its numerous efforts, and accolades have poured in from various quarters. The CII – Confederation of Indian Industries honored the department with the prestigious “Best State Promoting Sports” award, further cementing our state’s reputation in sports promotion. Moreover, The Hindu Sports Star also bestowed the “Best State Promotion of Sports” award on our department and the Tamil Nadu government.

The Tamil Nadu Champions Foundation has continuously supported disabled athletes, providing them with necessary assistance. Aspiring athletes can apply for financial aid from the Tamilnadu Champions Foundation through its website. In the last three years alone, our Chief Minister has provided nearly Rs. 38 crore in financial assistance to approximately 1,300 athletes.

They have provided significant incentives and have been duly recognized for it. The sportspeople have repeatedly requested that the 3% reservation in government jobs for athletes in government and public sector enterprises be implemented more effectively.

Under the sincere leadership of the Chief Minister, as a first step, I am happy to announce that 100 athletes will be offered government jobs. Sports should not be confined only to urban areas; it should also reach rural areas. The “Kalaignar Sports Equipment Scheme” was introduced to fulfill this vision. Although many schemes have been introduced in the name of Kalaignar, this is the first time that a sports-related scheme has been implemented in his name. The reason for naming this scheme after Kalaignar is that the qualities and abilities of a good athlete were present in Kalaignar himself. It was these qualities that made him an invincible political figure. Hence, it is fitting that this sports equipment scheme is named after Kalaignar.

I encourage the youth to adopt the qualities and capabilities that Kalaignar had and make them their own. Today, the “Kalaignar Sports Equipment Scheme” has been announced for Thanjavur, Pudukkottai, Thiruvallur, Nagapattinam, and Mayiladuthurai districts, benefiting students and young people from these rural areas. I convey my best wishes to them on this occasion.

Additionally, the Chief Minister participated in the Mahabalipuram Sports Competitions, where several athletes excelled. The Chief Minister also promised to build a small sports arena in Kumbakonam. Accordingly, Rs. 3 crore has been allocated, and the tender for the construction has been approved, with work expected to begin soon.

I am also pleased to announce that the state government, through its Dravidian model governance, will stand by our athletes in every aspect. I thank you all for this opportunity and extend my best wishes.

Present at the event:

• Honorable Minister of School Education Mr. Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi
• Honorable Minister of Environment and Climate Change Mr. Siva. V. Meyyanathan
• Honorable Government Whip Mr. M.V. Saminathan
• Tamil Nadu’s Representative in New Delhi Mr. A.S. Vijayan
• Additional Chief Secretary for Youth Welfare and Sports Development Mr. Atulya Misra, IAS
• Member of Parliament Mr. S. Kalyanasundaram
• Members of the Legislative Assembly Mr. K. Anbalagan, Dr. M.H. Jawahirullah, Mr. Durai Chandrasekaran, Mr. T.M.K. Neelamegam, Mr. K.A. Annadurai, and Mr. Poondi. K. Kalaivanan
• Mayor of Kumbakonam Mr. M. Ganesan
• Mayor of Thanjavur Mr. N. Ramanathan
• Mayor of Pudukkottai Ms. Thilagavathi Senthil
• Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority Chairman Mr. U. Muthusamy
• Secretary of Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority Mr. J. Meenakshisundaram, IAS
• District Collectors Ms. P. Priyanka Pankajam, IAS (Thanjavur), Ms. M. Aruna, IAS (Pudukkottai), Mr. A.P. Mahabharathi, IAS (Mayiladuthurai), Ms. Duraisree, IAS (Thiruvallur), and Mr. P. Akash, IAS (Nagapattinam)
• Wrestler Ms. Marasi Meena, Hockey Player Mr. Nandakumar, and various government officials.

Released by: Director, Information and Public Relations Department, Chennai-9