TN to launch Champions Foundation; Dhoni to be brand ambassador

The Tamil Nadu government will launch a 'Champions Foundation' with support from corporates and the general public for the development of sports, including augmenting infrastructure, and encouraging sportspersons to participate in events.

The TN Champions Foundation will rope in ace cricketer M S Dhoni as its brand ambassador and release a mascot and a theme song at a gala event in Chennai later this month, Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin announced on Wednesday.

In an interaction with journalists, Udhayanidhi said the new foundation will be registered as a company and will accept funds from corporates interested in developing sports under their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) scheme and individuals who would like to contribute to the cause.

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“From the government side, we have allotted Rs 3 crore for the foundation and we hope to raise more funds from the private sector to help augment sports infrastructure in the state. We will ensure these funds are used for right purposes,” the minister said, adding that the scheme is modelled on the lines of Namma School Foundation.

Udhayanidhi said while Chief Minister M K Stalin will be the President of the foundation, Dhoni will be the brand ambassador. “We will have a mega event by the end of this month with the CM and Dhoni participating in it,” he added.

J Meghanath Reddy, Member-Secretary, Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), said the foundation will come out with detailed norms for the utilisation of funds and allot them accordingly. “We will utilise the funds from the foundation to sponsor sportsmen, help augment existing and create new infrastructure. We need a lot of funds for developing sports in the state and this foundation will be of immense help,” Reddy said.

Udhayanidhi, who took charge as minister in December 2022, said the budget allocation for the Sports Department in the 2023-2024 fiscal is about Rs 700 crores, which is the highest so far. “We want to utilise the funds to ensure that more people show interest in sports and playing events. We are also coming up with a slew of schemes to improve sports infrastructure in rural areas and in government schools,” he said.

The DMK minister said the state was ready to host national-level games and events like Khelo India in Tamil Nadu and spoke about the 44th Chess Olympiad in Mamallapuram arrangements for which were conducted in just about four months.

“We have enough infrastructure and we have also displayed our expertise in holding events. We have asked the Union Government to allow us to host Khelo India and Asian Beach Games in Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Udhayanidhi also said Tamil Nadu will host the Asian Hockey Men’s Championship this August and gave an assurance that the state government will extend financial assistance for hosting the international event. Atulya Misra, Additional Chief Secretary (Sports Development) said the event is tentatively scheduled to be held in the month of August.

The minister also said the government will soon finalise the location for a mega-sports city on the outskirts of Chennai, while it will set up Centres for Sports Sciences in Madurai, and Ooty, besides the state capital.