Sports City Coming Up At Semmencherry To Hone World-Class Athletes
The project was first announced by Chief minister M. K. Stalin in the Assembly in April 2022 with a vision to train Tamil Nadu athletes with global standards.
Chennai: Aiming to catapult Chennai as an international sports destination, the Tamil Nadu government is developing a global sports city at Semmencherry at a cost of Rs 261 crore on 42 acres to provide world class training in an environment of international sports infrastructure with Olympic standards.
Being developed by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) in coordination with the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), the project is aimed at transforming Chennai into an international sports hub with water sports facilities, football turf, shooting/archery ranges, and athlete housing. The global sports city will also facilitate the holding of international sports events and groom the athletes by the year 2027.
The project was first announced by Chief minister M. K. Stalin in the Assembly in April 2022 with a vision to train Tamil Nadu athletes with global standards. The plan is part of a strategy to boost Tamil Nadu’s presence in global sports circuits. The allocation of Rs 261 crore for the project is viewed as a long-term investment to achieve sporting excellence. The global city is designed as an eco-sensitive, flood-resilient complex for training and recreation, integrating public amenities like parks and jogging tracks.
The global city will have a large stadium, football field with FIFA standard, cycle track, swimming pool, shooting range, archery area and a skating rink. A dedicated lake for rowing, canoeing, kayaking and other water sports will be in place. A multipurpose indoor arena is also planned for sports like table tennis, squash, billiards, and combat sports. The global city would provide accommodation, training spaces and sports science facilities for athletes.
The global city coming up along the Old Mahabalipuram Road near the Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology also integrates commercial spaces, clubhouses, parks, jogging paths and a rainwater conservation system. The construction is progressing in phases and scheduled for completion in the year 2027. The government is also planning to develop new access roads and metro connectivity for easy access from Chennai. The project will have facilities for the public besides professional athletes.
The water resources department will carry out the earth-filling and tank-deepening works to prevent rain-water stagnation and integrate the water-sports lake. The completion of the project in 2027 depends on timely land acquisition but the budget sanction for the global city indicates a clear commitment for building the sports city at the scheduled time.
