Announcing a slew of measures to promote excellence in sports, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday unveiled a special scheme to prepare sportspersons to win medals in the Olympic and international sports events.
She said a Centre of Excellence in Sports would be established in Chennai to provide scientific sports training to students in the age group of 10 to 14.
Making a suo motu statement in the Assembly, she said that five sportsmen and five sportswomen would get training under the special scheme.
Facilities
The government would spend Rs 1.25 crore per year to provide scientific training, nutritious food and high-class sports equipment and on improving the skills of the trainers.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said 25 promising boys and 25 girls would get training in advanced techniques at the Centre of Excellence. Besides helping them study in the best schools in the city, the government would provide them with sportswear and goods, a modern gym, assistance and training to take part in sports events abroad.
Expenditure
The centre would cost the government Rs. 1 crore as non-recurring expenditure and Rs 70.90 lakh as recurring expenditure per year.
Ms Jayalalithaa also substantially increased the prize money for Tamil Nadu sportspersons winning medals in Olympic games, Asian games, Commonwealth games and South Asian games.
The prize money scheme was launched by her in 2002.
As per the new scheme, a gold medallist in Olympics will get Rs 2 crore instead of Rs. 1 crore, a silver medallist Rs. 1 crore instead of Rs. 50 lakh and a bronze medallist Rs. 50 lakh instead of Rs. 25 lakh.
The prize money for a gold medallist in Asian games and Commonwealth games has been increased to Rs. 50 lakh from Rs. 20 lakh. A silver medallist will get Rs. 30 lakh instead of Rs. 15 lakh while a bronze medallist will get Rs. 20 lakh instead of Rs. 10 lakh.
The winner of a gold medal in South Asian games will get Rs. 5 lakh instead of Rs. 1 lakh.
A silver medallist will get Rs. 3 lakh instead of Rs. 50,000 and a bronze medallist will get Rs. 2 lakh instead of Rs. 10,000.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said her government had decided to increase students' intake in the nine sports hostels in nine districts and three sports schools with hostel facilities.
At present a total of 860 students are studying in these institutions and it will be increased to 1,100. It will cost Rs. 1 crore non-recurring expenditure and Rs. 1.16 crore as recurring expenditure per year.
Sports hostels
Moreover, the State government will open sports hostels in the other 23 districts to ensure that all the districts in the State had sports hostels.
To begin with, five districts will get sports hostels. Each hostel will accommodate 60 boys and girls.
It has been estimated that it would cost Rs. 3 crore non-recurring expenditure and Rs 1.15 crore recurring expenditure per year.
