In my journey with the Tamil Nadu Champions Foundation, I have met countless and inspiring athletes. But one of the stories which stays with me is that of Manoj’s, a young para-athlete from a modest family in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. He had a contractual job at the Tamil Nadu Small Industries Corporation Limited (TANSI). He had immense talent, but without a platform, it remained in the shadows.
That is when the Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin’s government stepped in. On his instructions to spot such talent, we extended financial assistance to Manoj through the Foundation. Today, the young man is winning international competitions and bringing pride to Tamil Nadu and India. True to our word of supporting athletes beyond the podium, he now has a secure government job under the three per cent sports quota.
In policy and practice
The ideological fathers of the Dravidian Model of governance envisioned a society in which public resources should be accessible to everyone. In sports, this means removing the barriers that prevent young people in rural and urban areas from accessing facilities and support. When Mr. Stalin said that our governance must reflect the adage, “Ellarukkum Ellam”, he also gave us a road map for sports: find talent early, build facilities across the State, support athletes with science, and reward success without delay. In sports, we have been able to translate the Dravidian algorithm into policy and practice like never before in Tamil Nadu.
Tamil Nadu’s athletes and its sporting ecosystem have recorded remarkable achievements — 34 of India’s 89 Chess Grandmasters and two World Chess Champions. Globally, it has celebrated four Paralympic medallists and 12 Olympians at the Paris Games, including six in track and field. At the Hangzhou Asian Games, 46 of Tamil Nadu’s sportspersons contributed to India’s 28 medals, while at the Hangzhou Para Asian Games, 18 of its athletes won 15 medals. Tamil Nadu’s Khelo Para Games tally rose to 74 medals in 2025, up from 42 in 2023, while in the National Games, the medals tally rose from 77 in 2023 to 92 in 2025 — a 20% jump. Between 2016 and 2021, the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu invested about ₹ 800 crore. In comparison, our administration has allocated ₹1,945 crore over the past five years — a 143% increase.
Since 2021, we have built 28 new sports complexes, including multi-sport district centres, Olympic academies, high-altitude training facilities, synthetic tracks in six towns, international-standard hockey turfs, a velodrome, and modern indoor arenas. We upgraded old stadiums in Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, and Tiruchi. Under phased programmes, there will be mini stadia in 75 blocks across the State and modern gyms to promote a fitter Tamil Nadu. Nearly 60% of the projects are in tier-II and tier-III towns. The Kalaignar Sports Kit Scheme provides 33 types of sports equipment, including cricket bats, volleyball nets, kabaddi mats and gym gear to every panchayat and all urban areas. Our infrastructure drive also includes para-sports. We are building accessible arenas in 11 districts and adding barrier-free features to new stadiums.
We have revamped athlete support programmes to make them data-driven, transparent, and inclusive. When we took office, only 12 athletes received yearly funding through the ELITE scheme. Today, 50 top athletes, including chess prodigies R. Praggnanandhaa and Gukesh, receive ₹30 lakh a year for training and competition exposure. Under the Mission International Medal Scheme, the number of supported athletes has risen from 48 to 125, with each receiving ₹12 lakh annually to pursue international qualification. The Champions Development Scheme nurtures 200 under-20 talents with ₹4 lakh yearly scholarships.
A system of accountability
A high-level committee of Olympians and sports scientists oversees athlete selection, with clear performance standards shared in advance. Para-athletes also receive the same level of support and incentives. Since 2021, 4,617 sportspersons have been awarded cash incentives worth ₹152 crore, which is four times the ₹38 crore given over the previous decade. Incentives for Olympic and Paralympic medal winners have been increased to ₹3 crore for gold, ₹2 crore for silver, and ₹1 crore for bronze, with payments made after the event. We introduced the Chief Minister’s Trophy games across all districts, including e-sports and traditional disciplines such as silambam. Registrations have grown from 4.57 lakh in 2023 to 16.28 lakh in 2025, supported by a dedicated Games Management System that tracks every athlete’s profile. Each year, we identify about 4,000 youngsters through competitions and place them in SDAT sports hostels, Centres of Excellence, and STAR academies. Transparent online registrations and AI-based talent scouting ensure that no deserving athlete is left out because of background or location.
Under our regime, the 3% sports quota for government jobs, a lifeline for athletes, has been revitalised. While only three athletes secured jobs under the previous government, we have facilitated employment for 109 sportspersons.
Communities that were once left out of mainstream sports are now becoming part of Tamil Nadu’s success story. At the high-performance tennis facility in Nungambakkam, rural women have gained new opportunities to train and compete. Thus, in 2023, Tamil Nadu’s women captured all four tennis gold medals at the Khelo India Games.
Hosting major competitions positions Tamil Nadu as a hub of sports tourism. In 2022, Chennai became the first Indian city to host the prestigious 44th Chess Olympiad. The tournament drew 188 teams from 186 nations, and was organised on a budget of about ₹110 crore. Since then, we have hosted the Squash World Cup, the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy, the World Surf League, the Asian Junior Athletics Championships, WTA and ATP tennis events, and India’s first Formula-4 street night race.
Looking ahead
We have also set up the Tamil Nadu Centre for Sports Science, invested in digital platforms for athlete management, and trained coaches in areas such as biomechanics, nutrition and psychology. In the next phase, we will build a Global Sports City in Chennai, expand our sports science facilities, and strengthen our para-sports programmes.
Sports are not merely about games; they are also the instruments of social engineering. In a State that gave rise to the rationalist and social justice movements, it is only fitting that we create a Dravidian Model for sports. Our success is measured not only in medals but also in the widening smiles of children from every corner of Tamil Nadu.
Udhayanidhi Stalin is the Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu
Published – November 10, 2025 12:08 am IST
