Tamil Nadu Sports Minister and TVK leader Aadhav Arjuna has called for greater government investment in sports infrastructure and long-term support for young athletes, arguing that the government must support sportspersons from a young age instead of limiting assistance to cash awards after they achieve success.
Speaking about the need to develop sports infrastructure across Tamil Nadu, Arjuna said talent in different sports must be identified and supported at the grassroots level.
“Take any sport from Tamil Nadu—be it Kabaddi, fencing, basketball, swimming, or motorsports—wherever there is talent, the necessary infrastructure must be created. Sports facilities need to be established in those areas. Simply taking a photo and handing over a cheque for five lakh rupees after a victory does not constitute true success. The government needs to stand by the child right from the age of eight; that is what a government is for. It must act like a parent.
Not every parent can afford the expenses involved. What can parents earning 30,000 or 50,000 rupees do? They may understand the struggles of a sportsperson, but they cannot afford the investment. A single pair of shoes costs 15,000 rupees, and four pairs are needed annually. A pair of competition-grade shoes, a kit costs 25,000 rupees. A fencing blade costs 60,000 rupees. Traveling for competitions requires a lakh of rupees.
Can an ordinary middle-class family afford such expenses? That is why they shy away from sports. Parents hold back because they struggle just to pay school fees; how could they possibly invest in sports as well?”
Arjuna said families also have to balance sporting ambitions with the cost of education, making sustained government support necessary for children pursuing professional sports.
“Education cannot be neglected—exams must be taken every year, and fees—amounting to one or two lakh rupees—must be paid. Furthermore, for a child to rise from joining an academy to becoming a national or international-level player, the cost runs into crores of rupees.”
Aadhav Arjuna Points To Gujarat, Delhi And Pune
Arjuna also pointed to Gujarat, Delhi and Pune as examples of places where significant investments have been made in sports and youth development.
“Yet, this has been made possible in places like Gujarat and Delhi. You should visit Gujarat—politicians here should go and see how investments have been made for the youth there over the past five years; look at Delhi and Pune as well.”
He argued that Tamil Nadu would also need to make sustained investments if it wanted to produce athletes capable of competing at the highest international level.
“If we want our children to stay away from drugs and instead win medals at the international level—at the Olympics—then the government must act.”
Arjuna cited the construction of sports infrastructure during the tenure of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa as an example of long-term government investment.
“Just as Madam Jayalalithaa acted as a visionary in 1994, spending crores to build infrastructure like this Nehru stadium, the government needs to view this as an investment in the future of the youth.”
He concluded by stressing that government spending on sports should be viewed as an investment in young people rather than merely as expenditure.
“A government should invest in young people just as a mother and father invest in their own children.”
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