CM Vijay announces Dream Olympics 2036 scheme as Tamil Nadu set for sports facelift

Tamil Nadu under the leadership of Chief Minister Vijay has launched an ambitious initiative called Dream Olympics 2036 to identify and nurture athletes capable of winning medals at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The program was announced at a ceremony for Asian Games medalists from the state at the Leela Palace in Chennai on Thursday. This is a continuation of Vijay’s encouragement to athletes who per

The foundation of this initiative will be a national talent identification event for children aged eight to 18. The aim is to identify promising athletes in each district and integrate them into a structured sports development system.

The state has proposed the establishment of 10 Olympic training centers to support the development of identified talents. A flagship Olympic city is also planned to provide athletes with access to high-performance training facilities and prepare them for elite-level competition.

“The stadiums that were built during J. Jayalalithaa’s time are very old. We need to build good infrastructure and rehabilitation centers. There is no center for physically challenged athletes. Our priority is to build a healthy ecosystem around athletes. Keeping this in mind, we have increased the budget for sports. Sports events will be held for transgender athletes and all the hostels of Tamil Nadu are planning to win medals in the Tamil Nadu district. at the Los Angeles Olympics and 2036 in 2028,” said Aadhav Arjuna, Minister of State for Public Works and Sports Development.

Tamil Nadu separately announced plans to a Motorsport City with first-class infrastructure for various disciplineswith facilities ranging from Formula 4 to Formula 1. Existing sports infrastructure in several cities will also be modernized, with new sports hostels and improved training facilities introduced.

ATHLETES READY FOR A BIG PAY

The program includes financial and logistical assistance for athletes with planned contributions to air transportation for participants in national competitions. Funding will also increase under several existing sports development programmes.

The government has revised its rewards for Olympic and Paralympic medal winners, offering R5 million for gold, R3 million for silver and R2 million for bronze. Athletes who qualify for the Olympics or Paralympics will now get Rs 15 crore, while those who qualify for the Asian Games, Para-Asian Games or Commonwealth Games will be eligible for a special incentive of Rs 7 crore to support their preparations.

The state support system for athletes will also be expanded. The Elite category will now include 60 athletes, while the Mission International Medals Scheme (MIMS) will cover 175 recipients, with the incentive increasing to Rs 15 crore. The Champions Development Scheme (CDS) will extend support to 275 athletes, each eligible for Rs 2 crore.

Another major measure will be medal winners from the Asian Games, Para-Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Para Commonwealth Games to be included in the Dream Olympics Scheme. Each recipient will receive an annual assistance of Rs 50 lakh, including a monthly stipend of Rs 1 lakh.

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