Udhayanidhi Stalin distributes sports kits to 707 Panchayats at Salem

In a major boost to  grass roots level sports activities for rural communities, Tamil Nadu's Deputy Chief Minister, Udhayanidhi Stalin, distributed 1,070 sports kits to 707 panchayats from Salem and Namakkal districts under the Kalaignar Sports Kit scheme and The event, held at Nehru Kalaiarangam, was part of the centenary celebrations of Muthamizh Arignar Kalaignar in which welfare aid worth Rs. 33.26 crore to 3,583 beneficiaries from various sectors in Salem district on October 20, 2024. In addition to sports kits, Udhayanidhi Stalin handed over welfare assistance to differently-abled individuals, including motorized sewing machines, battery-powered folding wheelchairs, and other aids. He also presented housing plots to 300 beneficiaries and bank loan links worth Rs. 23 crore to 2,600 women from 202 self-help groups (SHGs).
During his speech, Udhayanidhi Stalin highlighted the introduction of the Kalaignar Sports Kit scheme, launched in February 2024, with an allocation of Rs. 86 crore for 12,525 village panchayats across Tamil Nadu. He also announced that Chief Minister's Cup sports competitions had drawn 11 lakh participants this year, up from 6 lakh last year.
Special mention was made of prominent para-athletes from the region, including gold-medalist Mariyappan Thangavelu and para-badminton player Thulasi Muthuraj, who were in attendance. The Deputy CM praised their achievements and noted how their success inspires future athletes. He humorously added that he himself was inspired by Thulasi to take up badminton again.
Udhayanidhi further announced that, under the Chief Minister's guidance, the state has allocated Rs. 83 crore for sports competitions and raised the prize money for winners to Rs 37 crore. He expressed pride that Salem district had improved from 19th to 3rd place in the competition standings and encouraged participants to strive for the top spot.
Key attendees included Health Minister Ma. Subramanian, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Tourism Minister R.Rajenderan, and Salem District Collector R. Brindadevi.