Home News DMK Scion Udhayanidhi Claims ‘Dravidian Model’ Credit For Vithya Ramraj’s 3-Medal Asian...

DMK Scion Udhayanidhi Claims ‘Dravidian Model’ Credit For Vithya Ramraj’s 3-Medal Asian Games Haul; But She Thanks TOPS, JSW, Railways & More

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The Commune
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DMK Scion Udhayanidhi Claims ‘Dravidian Model’ Credit For Vithya Ramraj’s 3-Medal Asian Games Haul; But She Thanks TOPS, JSW, Railways & More

Tamil Nadu athlete Vithya Ramraj has scripted history at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, becoming one of the standout performers of India’s athletics campaign with three medals and a record-breaking performance.

But as congratulations poured in, former Tamil Nadu Sports Minister and DMK scion Udhayanidhi Stalin’s attempt to highlight the achievements as the success of the state’s “Dravidian Model Government” has drawn attention to a larger question: how much of Vithya’s journey can reasonably be attributed to the Tamil Nadu government alone?

Vithya won gold in the women’s 4x400m relay alongside Kiran Pahal, M.R. Poovamma and Prachi Choudhary. She had earlier won silver in the mixed 4x400m relay, producing a crucial final leg for India. She then won bronze in the women’s 400m hurdles, clocking 54.75 seconds and breaking P.T. Usha’s 42-year-old national record of 55.42 seconds, set at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

Her three-medal haul has placed her among the leading Indian track athletes at the Games.

Following her performances, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced a total of ₹1.55 crore in cash rewards for Vithya — ₹50 lakh for the mixed 4x400m relay silver, ₹30 lakh for the 400m hurdles bronze and another ₹75 lakh after the women’s 4x400m relay gold.

Udhayanidhi Stalin, however, sought to place the spotlight on the state government’s contribution.

In a social media post, he wrote that he was “happy to see the investment and support for sports by our #DravidianModel Government bearing fruit” at the Asian Games. He specifically congratulated Vithya for breaking Usha’s record and said the government had recognised her talent and provided support under its ELITE category, along with assistance through HCI.

He also cited broader state initiatives, including financial assistance through schemes such as TNCF and the provision of government jobs to 300 athletes under the 3% sports reservation.

Udhayanidhi further congratulated other Tamil Nadu athletes who won medals at the Games, including Abinaya, Vishal, Rajesh Ramesh, Abhay Singh, Josna Chinnappa, Velavan Senthilkumar, Baranica, Hariharan and Kamalini.

There is, however, a significant difference between saying that the Tamil Nadu government supported Vithya and suggesting that her Asian Games success is principally the product of the DMK government’s sports policies.

Vithya’s own account of her journey points to a far wider network.

After winning the record-breaking bronze, Vithya specifically thanked AFI, TOPS, the Tamil Nadu government, Indian Railways and JSW for supporting her. “TOPS is supporting me so much, and my state government is supporting me so much. JSW and Indian Railways — I’m working in the Railways — are also supporting me so much,” she said.

She repeated that point after her second medal, thanking AFI, TOPS, the state government, Indian Railways and “especially JSW” for their support.

The Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) is not a Tamil Nadu government programme. It is a Central Government scheme administered through the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. Vithya has been officially listed under TOPS for women’s 400m hurdles. The Sports Authority of India’s records also list her among the TOPS athletes.

Vithya has also been part of the TOPS Core Group for women’s 4x400m relay.

Then there is JSW Sports and the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), which form an important part of India’s high-performance sporting ecosystem. JSW describes IIS as a high-performance facility built around international-standard infrastructure, coaching and sports science. Its team includes specialists in coaching, strength and conditioning, sports science, physiotherapy and nutrition.

Indian Railways has also been an important part of Vithya’s sporting career. She is employed by the Railways, which provides her with employment and institutional support while she competes for India. The Indian Railways’ own annual report records Vithya among its athletes who represented India and won medals at the Asian Games.

Her journey began much earlier, however, and Tamil Nadu’s contribution should not be erased either.

Vithya and her twin sister Nithya were enrolled in the Erode sports hostel after their family faced financial difficulties. Vithya’s father worked as a truck driver, and she has spoken about the financial struggles her family faced while raising three daughters. She later received support during her college years through a sports scholarship associated with the KVIT Trust at Kongu Arts and Science College in Erode.

The Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu’s ELITE Sports Persons Scheme is also a documented part of the state’s support structure. Vithya is among the athletes supported under the scheme, which provides selected elite athletes with an annual scholarship.

So, there is certainly a Tamil Nadu government contribution to Vithya’s journey. But that is very different from presenting her record-breaking Asian Games success as a product of one government or one political model.

Her own acknowledgements tell a more complete story: the early support she received in Tamil Nadu, the Central Government’s TOPS programme, AFI and national-level sporting infrastructure, JSW Sports and IIS, her employment with Indian Railways, state government support, and backing from corporate sponsors including Puma and the Adani Group all formed part of the wider support network behind her career.

That makes Udhayanidhi’s post all the more revealing.

Instead of acknowledging this entire network, his political messaging places the achievements prominently under the banner of the “Dravidian Model Government.” The state government can legitimately point to the support it provided. What the available record does not establish is that Tamil Nadu’s contribution alone produced Vithya Ramraj’s Asian Games breakthrough.

In fact, Vithya herself has done the opposite of assigning exclusive credit. She has repeatedly named the organisations that supported her: TOPS, AFI, JSW, Indian Railways and the Tamil Nadu government.

Her achievement, therefore, is bigger than a government publicity post.

It is the story of an athlete from a financially struggling family who progressed through school-level sports infrastructure, educational support, national athletics programmes, Central Government assistance, corporate-backed high-performance training, institutional employment and state-level assistance before finally breaking one of Indian athletics’ longest-standing records.

Vithya Ramraj deserves the credit for breaking records and winning that many medals. But many organisations and institutions helped her get there, and they deserve credit too. Presenting her success as the achievement of just the DMK government is pathetic and Udhayanidhi has been exposed stealing credit – when Vithya herself has acknowledged everyone else.

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