J. Meghanatha Reddy, Member Secretary and CEO, Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority, and K.C. Vijaya Kumar, Sports Editor, The Hindu, discussing the role of sports development in T.N.’s growth.
| Photo Credit: B. VELANKANNI RAJ
With land prices increasing in neighbourhoods where sports infrastructure projects are taken up by the State government, the real estate sector is looking at lasting and sustainable sports infrastructure as a catalyst to growth, said J. Meghanatha Reddy, Member Secretary and CEO, Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority.
During a fireside chat with K.C. Vijaya Kumar, Sports Editor of The Hindu, on ‘Building Champions, Building Cities: The Role of Sports Infrastructure in Tamil Nadu’s Growth’, Mr. Meghanatha Reddy, said: “A silent sports revolution is happening in the State. A budget of ₹1945 crore has been allocated for sports in the last five years, cumulatively. In the first year, the budget was ₹166 crore.”
“I was in Tenkasi a few days ago. A new sports complex has been announced for the district. The value of land in the area shot up ten times thanks to a stadium that has come up in Tenkasi,” he said.
He added that the global sports city proposed to be developed in Semmenchery by the Tamil Nadu government had drawn a lot of attention. “We are about to start the work in two or three months,” he said.
Pointing to the synergy between real estate and sports, he said a total of 100 mini-stadiums would be created in the State by the end of the year, and that the development of sports infrastructure was demand-driven.
“The sports infrastructure facilities are identities of a particular place. In Nagercoil, we have created a centre for martial arts. In a survey of constituencies, one of the major demands was a stadium,” he said.
Pointing to the development of the first Olympic Water Sports Academy in Ramanathapuram, Mr. Meghanatha Reddy said the hospitality industry was equally growing in the area. “Sports infrastructure is changing the landscape,” he said.
Mini-stadium
A total of 200 civil infrastructure projects are being undertaken in Tamil Nadu for the development of sports infrastructure, including high performance centres. The Kolathur mini-stadium, developed on a dump yard, will be inaugurated next week, he said.
Urging sportspersons to apply online for financial support from the Tamil Nadu Champions’ Foundation, Mr. Meghanatha Reddy said: “In the last two-and-a-half years, 4000 sportspersons have been supported. We gave everything they asked for. Talent is found everywhere. We have to tap local talent for global sports events,” he said.
Published – August 06, 2025 12:55 am IST
