Chennai to get world-class sports city by 2027 as TN bets big on sports infrastructure

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday laid the foundation stone for the ₹261-crore Global Sports City at Semmancheri and announced a series of athlete-centric measures, reinforcing the state’s ambition to emerge as a major international sports hub.

Speaking at the Champions of Tamil Nadu event at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Stalin described the initiative as a “triple jump” for the sporting ecosystem, moving sports from the sidelines to the mainstream. He said the project is targeted for completion by early 2027 , with construction planned in phases and long-term maintenance to be handled through a hybrid government and public-private partnership (PPP) model . Select indoor arenas and training centres will be operated by private sports academies under state supervision to ensure financial sustainability.

The Global Sports City will house facilities for football, athletics, hockey, shooting, archery, badminton, squash, combat sports, skating, BMX cycling and water sports , along with sports science laboratories, rehabilitation centres, hostels and public recreation spaces. Officials said the complex is designed as a flood-resilient, eco-friendly campus capable of hosting national and international tournaments.

Of the total ₹261 crore outlay, ₹30 crore has been allocated in the current financial year , with the remaining funds to be released in subsequent phases. Site development and flood-mitigation works worth over ₹50 crore are already under way. The government is also exploring partnerships with corporate sponsors and international training institutes to run specialised academies.

During the event, Stalin distributed government job appointment orders to 178 athletes, including 62 para-athletes , under the 3 per cent sports quota. He noted that Tamil Nadu has awarded over ₹172 crore in incentives to more than 5,400 medal winners in the past four and a half years and is the first state to provide equal cash rewards to para-athletes.

Para-badminton player Jagadish Dilli welcomed the project, saying world-class facilities within the state would reduce the need for athletes to train outside Tamil Nadu. Gymnast Sneha said the Sports City could “bridge the gap between talent and opportunity” if district-level coaching networks are strengthened.

Opposition leaders, however, urged the government to focus equally on grassroots infrastructure, pointing to Odisha’s hockey academies and Haryana’s wrestling centres as examples of decentralised sports development. They cautioned that mega projects must translate into wider access for rural youth.

Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin said the initiative would align sportsmanship with governance, adding that sustained investment would make Tamil Nadu competitive with leading sports states in India.