Udhayanidhi Stalin assures govt jobs for sportspersons

TIRUCHY: To encourage the sports persons across the State, the government has decided to provide government jobs to 100 sports persons initially which would be increased in a phased manner, said the Minister of Youth Welfare and Sports Development Udhayanidhi Stalin on Thursday.

Distributing the Kalaignar Sports Kits to sportspersons from Pudukkottai, Mayiladuthurai, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur and Thanjavur districts, Udhayanidhi Stalin said, the sports kits scheme has been planned to be distributed to as many as 12,525 village panchayats to the tune of Rs 86 crore across the State and as many as 13 districts have so far been covered.

To create competent sportspersons from every place across the State, the prize amount was increased to Rs 37 crore this year for the Chief Minister’s Cup competitions.

“Last year 6.71 lakh sportspersons took part in the Chief Minister’s cup competitions and this year the number has increased to 11.56 lakh and this shows that the sports and games have become a movement in the State,” he said.

Referring to the demands of sportspersons for 3 per cent reservation in government and public sector units, the Minister said their demands have gradually been fulfilled in a phased manner. “Initially, 100 sports persons would be given government employment and this would be increased in coming years,” he said.

Meanwhile, the minister pointed out that the DMK had promised to establish a mini stadium in Kumbakonam in the election manifesto. “To materialise this, a fund of Rs 3 crore has been sanctioned for the stadium and the works would soon commence,” he said.