Chandra’s dream may be realised soon

The first stage of the stadium located in Mogappair is nearing completion.

LONG CHERISHED: V.Chandrasekar, former national table tennis player, looking at the model of his much desired TT stadium in Mogappair. Photo: K. Pichumani

If everything goes according to plan, former National table tennis champion V. Chandrasekar’s dream of building an exclusive stadium in Chennai will be realised by the second week of January 2015. 

The first stage of the stadium located in Mogappair is nearing completion. The architect involved in the project said that the first floor of the stadium, which is technically called the ‘roof level’, will be ready by January. It will have eight tables, a gymnasium, a sports store and a cafeteria. 

“We will be in a position to inaugurate it on January 14 or earlier. We hope to start with the inter-district TT championship,” said Chandrasekar, Director of SDAT-Medimix Chandra TT Academy, after inspecting the site. 

Funding has come mainly from Medimix, Velammal Group of Institutions, Hindustan College of Engineering, India Pistons, Y. Gee Mahendra among others.

“The first floor is almost finished,” he said. 

Tough journey

The journey hasn’t been easy for the former player in his quest of achieving his goal. Having received the land on a lease from the Tamil Nadu Government (through Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu) in the year 2001 on 10,000 sq.ft of land, Chandrasekar encountered a lot of roadblocks in the form of uncertainty over the funds, villagers’ encroachments on his land, but he stood firm. 

“I never give up in life,” Chandrasekar said. “I was a bit worried though when there was encroachment by locals and when some people wrote anonymous letters to SDAT saying that nothing will come up in the land and asked it to take back the land.” 

He recalled an incident in 2012 when a top SDAT official after inspecting the site told Chandrasekar that if there was no progress the land would be taken back.

The approval from the Ambattur Municipality in the year 2013 set the process in motion and there has been no turning back since then. 

Grateful

The former international player took the opportunity to thank the main sponsor which has stood by him through thick and thin. “I am grateful to Medimix who have been with me from the 90s,” he said. 

Chandrasekar is confident that the Academy will be one-of-a-kind. “I am sure it will be the best in South India. I am confident that if and when the second floor comes up (in six months), it will be one of the best in India.” 

(This is the first in a series of fortnightly features on sport in Chennai)