₹1,200-Cr Secretariat, Olympic City, Formula 1 Track: Vijay Announces Chennai Makeover Plan

(MENAFN- Live Mint) In a move that is likely to please sports lovers in Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister C Vijay Joseph on Thursday announced his government's plan to establish a world-class Olympic City in Chennai, along with a dedicated motorsports city in the capital to host Formula 1 races.

Tamil Nadu to get Olympic City: Here's what the CM said

He made the announcement under Rule 110 in the State Assembly, ANI reported. The CM's office said the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority will oversee the development of the Olympic City, which is planned to include international-standard sports arenas, advanced sporting equipment, a High Performance Training Centre, and specialised Sports Science and Sports Medicine centres.

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Vijay said the facility will also have modern infrastructure, including accommodation for athletes and coaches. The Olympic City is envisioned as an integrated sports hub, providing sportspersons with advanced training and support facilities aimed at helping athletes from the state win more medals at the Olympic Games and other international sporting events.

He further said, "World-class, Olympics standard infra and training structure with residential facilities will be built. This will help Chennai host international events and to churn out Olympians." Addressing the Assembly, he noted, "An Olympic city will be set up in Chennai. A motor sports city will also be set up in Chennai to host Formula 1 races. The talents of youth in motor sports will be identified, and training and racing opportunities will be provided to create national and international level champions."

CM Vijay also announced plans to establish a new integrated Assembly-cum-Secretariat complex in the capital for ₹1,200 crore, indicating that the government plans to shift from the historic Fort St George. He said the modern complex will house all state government departments and have a built-up area of 20 lakh sq ft.

CM Vijay to bring back Formula 1 racing?

Earlier in June this year, Tamil Nadu's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) set up a task force to oversee motor sports, with a vision of bringing back Formula 1 racing to the country by the end of 2028. Citing a source, ANI said, "We will try to bring back F1 in India by 2028. For this, we created a task force that monitors motor sports in the country and submits its report to the Ministry."

Earlier this year, Arindam Ghosh, President of the Federation of Motor Sports Clubs of India (FMSCI), attended a meeting with the Union Sports Ministry in the national capital, where he said work was in progress to bring the motor racing event back to the country by 2030. He also said India could host a round of the World Rally Championship (WRC) and MotoGP by 2028.

Later, at the FMSCI Annual Awards function, Ghosh said, "The meeting with Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State Raksha Khadse, senior officials and potential stakeholders in New Delhi, focused primarily on bringing F1, MotoGP and a round of the WRC to India."

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He added, "The Federation stressed the need to develop Indian drivers and the overall development of motorsports in India, and the FMSCI's inputs were well received."

(with agency inputs)

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