TN beach volleyball medalists felicitated by Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin 

Chennai, Jan 28 (IANS) Tamil Nadu’s growing stature as a rising sports powerhouse was on display on Wednesday when women athletes who won medals in beach volleyball at the Khelo India Beach Games met Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin and received official recognition for their achievements.  

The interaction comes at a time when the Tamil Nadu government, under Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, has been taking sustained steps to transform the State into India’s sports capital. A key pillar of this effort is the Tamil Nadu Champions Trust Fund, established to provide targeted financial assistance to promising athletes.

The fund supports the purchase of sports equipment, participation in international competitions, and access to specialised training for national and international events.

As part of this initiative, the Deputy Chief Minister presented cheques to several athletes who have excelled at the national level.

Athletes J. Gokulapandiyan and V. Naveenkumar, along with women athletes J. Suji and K. Yamini, received cheques worth Rs 1.35 lakh towards the purchase of sports equipment.

Archers P. Satheeshkumar and R. Pritheshwaran were also supported with cheques amounting to Rs 1 lakh for sports equipment. In addition, para-cyclist P. Pradeep, who competed in the Asian Para Road Cycling Championship held in Saudi Arabia in February 2026, was provided financial assistance of Rs 2.5 lakh to cover competition-related expenses.

Cyclist R. Sanjay received Rs 2 lakh for his participation in the Asian Road Cycling Championship. In total, eight athletes were extended financial support amounting to Rs 7.85 lakh from the Tamil Nadu Champions Trust Fund to help them compete internationally and upgrade essential sporting equipment.

Following the cheque distribution, Tamil Nadu athletes who won medals in beach volleyball at the Khelo India Beach Games formally met the Deputy Chief Minister and expressed their gratitude. The medal winners included K. Deepika, Su. Pavithra, M. Swathi and A. Darshini in the women’s category, and V. Rajesh, So. Bharath, S. Abithan and U. Poonthamizhann among the men.

The event was attended by senior officials from the Youth Welfare and Sports Development Department, including Principal Secretary Satyaprata Sahu and Member Secretary of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, J. Meghanatha Reddy.

Government officials, athletes and women officers were also present. Officials reiterated that sustained investment, institutional backing and athlete-centric policies would remain central to Tamil Nadu’s vision of emerging as a national leader in sports development.

--IANS

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