Latest news with #SportsDevelopmentAuthorityofTamilNadu
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
SDAT to set up three discounted pickleball courts
Chennai: Tapping into the rising urban trend of pickleball games, the youth welfare and sports development department has planned to set up three new courts across the city. As private courts cost 1,000 to 1,500 per hour, the govt plans to allow bookings at 30% discount Pickleball is a paddle sport played typically by four people. Players bounce a lightweight plastic ball over a 34-inch-high net. What makes this an emerging urban fitness trend is that it is easy to learn, say players. Meghanath Reddy, member-secretary, Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), said there is a court in Nehru Stadium and they plan to expand to more core areas. You Can Also Check: Chennai AQI | Weather in Chennai | Bank Holidays in Chennai | Public Holidays in Chennai "More people are playing it now among all age groups, and we want to boost community engagement," he said, adding that the pickleball courts would not have any coaching immediately, but eventually, they will look to hire coaches based on response. Each court will cost about 12 lakh with fencing, nets, and lighting. The arena will have washrooms and drinking water. The courts are likely to come up in core areas in Chetpet, Nungambakkam, and Velachery near the SDAT complexes. Khiztar Hussain, who owns Pickleball Task on Anna Salai, said mostly middle-aged people come to play daily. "The courts require no maintenance and the rules too are simple. People come together as a community for leisure," he said. "You just need to play it for an hour or two. It is easy to get the hang of it," says Prasanna B, a businessman. What was earlier a casual game played among friends has turned into a community sport where players organise friendly matches and find each other through apps such as Turf Town. The recent MGM Tamil Nadu Pickleball tournament featured over 250 participants, said Gopi Ram, a participant. "There were players from other districts like Coimbatore, Salem, and Ooty," he said.
India Gazette
12-06-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
TN Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin honours Gukesh, Praggnanandhaa and Chithambaram for top performances at international chess events
New Delhi [India], June 12 (ANI): The Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Udhayanidhi Stalin, congratulated the Tamil Nadu chess players, world champion D Gukesh, Aravindh Chithambaram, and R Praggnanandhaa for securing top positions in the international chess tournaments held in Norway and Armenia. A press release from the state government said, 'The Deputy Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Udhayanidhi Stalin, today (12.06.2025) extended his congratulations to: D. Gukesh, the reigning World Junior Champion and recipient of the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award, for securing third place in the Norway Chess Tournament, Aravindh Chithambaram, for clinching first place in the Stepan Avagyan Memorial Chess Tournament, and Praggnanandhaa, for securing second place in the same tournament.' Chithambaram, by winning the Stepan Avagyan Memorial Chess Tournament, has now entered the top 10 of the FIDE world rankings. It is noteworthy that he also won first place in the Masters section of the Chennai Grandmasters Tournament held last year in Chennai, conducted by SDAT (Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu). Both Gukesh and Praggnanandhaa are beneficiaries of the Tamil Nadu Government's Elite Scheme for outstanding sportspersons, implemented through the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu. Under this Elite Scheme, sportspersons who win medals in international competitions are provided with an annual grant of Rs 30 lakh to further enhance their skills. This financial support helps them acquire advanced sports equipment, train under world-class coaches abroad, and consistently participate in international competitions to showcase their talent. With three of the four Indian players ranked in the world top 10 in chess hailing from Tamil Nadu--thanks to victories in tournaments like the Norway Chess and the Stepan Avagyan Memorial--this achievement highlights the significant impact of the Honourable Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu's efforts in making the state a global leader in the field of sports. This event was also attended by Atulya Misra, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary of Youth Welfare and Sports Development Department, and Mr. J Meghanath Reddy, IAS, Member Secretary of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu. (ANI)
Time of India
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Centre clears TN's 7cr sailors academy
Chennai: Union environment ministry's expert panel has cleared Tamil Nadu's plan to build a 7-crore Sailors Academy near Marina. Proposed by Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), the facility will be developed on 2.7 acres at the mouth of Cooum River under CRZ-II norms, which permit regulated development in already urbanised coastal areas. Project involves the construction of a single-storey training block with a total built-up area of 729 sqm. The building will contain classrooms, restrooms, and storage areas for gear, along with designated training zones. A 52-metre-long platform will connect the centre to the riverbank, and a 30-metre ramp will allow boats to be launched directly into the Cooum. The facility will also train participants in kayaking, rafting, tube boating, scuba diving, jet skiing, undersea walking, and glass-bottom boating. Unlike most existing sailing initiatives confined to private clubs, this state-backed facility will target school and college students, especially those enrolled in govt sports hostels. Yachting Association of India will provide technical support for the initiative . J Meghanatha Reddy, member secretary of SDAT, said the project was awaiting clearance for some time. "Now that we received the go-ahead, we will review the detailed plan and begin tender process. We aim to align its opening with Asian Youth Sailing Championships scheduled for January," he said. The academy will follow coastal regulation restrictions, including a no-construction buffer of 20 metres from High Tide Line. Groundwater extraction and use of plastics are banned. The design includes provisions for solar power, rainwater harvesting, and solid waste management. Once operational, the site will have lifeguards and emergency communication systems in place.
Indian Express
29-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Arjun Erigaisi, Nihal Sarin, Vidit Gujrathi and Anish Giri to headline Chennai Grand Masters event
India No. 1 and World No. 4 Arjun Erigaisi will headline the 2025 Quantbox Chennai Grand Masters event, one of the strongest tournaments (by average ratings) in India, set to take place in the chess capital from August 6 to 15 this year. Joining Arjun in the classical super tournament — a crucial event for FIDE Circuit Rating points in the 2025 cycle — will be top Indian stars like Nihal Sarin and Vidit Gujrathi in the Masters section. Meanwhile, the Challengers section will feature young talents like Leon Luke Mendonca and R. Vaishali. Harika Dronavalli, India's second-highest-rated woman in live ratings, and B. Adhiban will also compete in the Challengers. Reigning world junior champion Pranav V, who won last year's Challengers event ahead of Mendonca and Raunak Sadhwani, has earned a spot in the Masters category this time. Among the international players, former World No. 3 Anish Giri (Netherlands) and Freestyle Grand Slam Weissenhaus leg winner Vincent Keymer (Germany) are the two highest-rated confirmed players, with at least three more overseas names yet to be confirmed. The participation of last edition's winner Aravindh Chithambaram, along with fellow Chennai lads Gukesh and R. Praggnanandhaa, remains unconfirmed due to a packed chess calendar. This year, the expanded 20-player field across both categories will compete for a total prize fund of Rs 1 crore (Rs 75 lakh for Masters and Rs 25 lakh for Challengers). Anish Giri confirmed his availability to The Indian Express, stating: 'I will play a small rapid and blitz event in Estonia to warm up for the World Rapid & Blitz Team Championship in London. Then comes the Zagreb Grand Chess Tour. After that, I'll take part in the Chennai GM, Grand Swiss, European Team Championship, and World Cup — all classical events.' With five-time world champion Viswanathan Anand long been emphasising the need for a regular high-rated invitational tournament in India and his desire to see it as a yearly tradition, the Chennai event has grown into a key fixture. Within the rules, when the tournament was organised for the first time in late 2023 by Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), it served as a platform — a final chance for Gukesh and Arjun who were running for the coveted spot in the 2024 Candidates tournament through FIDE Circuit Ratings of 2023 cycle. Winning the Chennai Grand Masters would have almost guaranteed the Candidates spot to either of them, and as it turned out, it was Gukesh who pipped Arjun with a better tiebreak after they tied for the first position, which thrust him to become the leader of Circuit Ratings. The then-17-year-old Gukesh narrowly secured the last Candidates spot after Arjun failed to win the FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Championship outright, which almost became a requisite to reclaim the Circuit lead for Arjun. The rest was history: Gukesh defied expectations in a formidable Candidates field featuring Ian Nepomniachtchi, Fabiano Caruana, Hikaru Nakamura, Praggnanandhaa, and Alireza Firouzja, emerging as the youngest winner in Candidates history. He then dethroned China's Ding Liren to become the youngest World Champion at 18.
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Race walker Servin Sebastian's inspiring story: from nearly quitting four months back to winning bronze at Asian Athletics Championship
In January, Servin Sebastian was on the verge of quitting race walking. A family matter had affected his mental peace. He didn't have the mindspace to train. Servin had decided to head back home to his village, Edayathumangalam in Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu to be with his family, his army coach Ganapathi Krishnan, said. However, Ganapathi, a 2016 Olympian, didn't want Servin to drop out. He counselled Servin, the gist of his message was about not wasting an opportunity to win a 'big medal' and bring joy to his family. On Tuesday, Servin won his first international medal, a bronze at the Asian Athletics Championships in Gumi, South Korea. The top seven finishers bettered the meet record, Servin posted a personal best of 1 hour, 21 minutes and 14 seconds. China's Asian Games silver medallist Zhaozhao Wang (1:20:37) won gold and Japan's Kento Yoshikawa (1:20:46) took the silver. For Ganapathi, the Asian Championships silver is a proof of Servin's potential. He's also glad that the athlete who almost dropped out four months ago finished on the podium in Gumi. 'Servin was very stressed at the start of the year because of a family issue. It was understandable. But I told him he would be making a mistake if he gave up race-walking because he had potential. I told him to go home for 10 days and return. We used to talk everyday and I tried my best to keep him motivated but at the same time lend him an ear. If he trusts a coach then he will give his 100 percent,' Ganapathi said. The first person Servin spoke to after winning the silver medal was his mother Gracy. 'She was crying because of joy,' Servin told The Indian Express from Gumi, South Korea. His father Sebastian, a farmhand who earns Rs 250 a day, came on the line next. 'When I started off my father borrowed money to buy me shoes. Today I am happy I could give something to them in return. Winning a first international medal is a special moment. In 2023, I won silver medals at national competitions, then last year I won gold medals. Winning a bronze at the Asian Championships is the next step. I hope to qualify for the World Championships later this year,' Servin said. Servin is also elated about registering a personal best. Last year at the Indian Race Walking Championships in Chandigarh, Servin had qualified for the Paris Olympics by clocking 1:20.03, however, the results didn't stand because of faulty timing systems. 'What happened last year was not in my control. But I had to accept my fate. It was not the fault of athletes. I am someone who does not think about the past. Today, I am happy that I could also clock a personal best that will remain in the record books,' Servin, an Indian army havildar, said. He started off as an 800 metre runner but a hamstring injury when he was 16, forced him to change course. A trainee at the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu's Krishnagiri hostel, Servin's career as a 800 metre athlete had hit a roadblock. However, his coach Indira asked him not to despair. 'Indira ma'am asked me to try race walking. It took me a while to get the hang of it, but because of the hamstring injury it was the best option for me,' Servin said. Coach Indira cajoled him to take the next important step in his career — appear for selection trials of the Indian army. Servin was inducted in 2018 and initially trained in Hyderabad, before moving to the Army Sports Institute (ASI) in Pune four years later. Since then Ganapathi has been his coach. Technical tweaks Ganapathi recalls that Servin needed a few technical tweaks if he was to progress. Indian walkers have been disqualified overseas because of technical faults — three at the 2018 Asian Games. Ganapathi too has seen red paddles when he was an active athlete. 'What generally happens in India is that coaches and athletes try to get as fast as possible without focussing on the technical aspects. That is because they want quick results. What happens in international competition is that till about 10 kilometres Indian walkers are doing well but once the speed picks up they are not able to keep pace without committing a foul. This also happens because they get tired. Indian walkers have great potential if they correct technical flaws early,' Ganapaty said. In Servin's case what needed correction was what is called the 'bounce' or both feet in the air. 'In race-walking at least one foot needs to be in contact with the ground at all times. So, in the off-season I helped him iron out technical issues by giving him longer training sessions but at a slower pace so there is no 'bounce'. He will only get better from here on,' Ganapathi said. With an Asian bronze medal under his belt, Servin knows what it takes to rub shoulders with some of the best in the continent.
