Tamil Nadu Government Launches 'Dream Olympics' Scheme for Athletes

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay hosted a ceremony on Thursday to honour athletes who secured medals in the recent Asian Games and Chess Olympiad. Among those recognised were Asian Games medal-winning athlete Vithya Ramraj, all-rounder Washington Sundar, and chess prodigy R Praggnanandhaa.

All athletes received cash prizes based on their achievements. Gold medal winners from the Asian Games were awarded ₹75 lakh, silver medalists ₹50 lakh, and bronze medalists ₹30 lakh. Chess competitors were also acknowledged, with men receiving ₹15 lakh and women ₹10 lakh. Vithya Ramraj was particularly acknowledged for her outstanding performance, having won one gold, one silver, and one bronze medal in the Asian Games, amounting to a total of ₹1.55 crore in awards.

Expressing her gratitude, Vithya thanked the Tamil Nadu government for its ongoing support of athletes and affirmed her commitment to achieving even greater success in future competitions.

Veteran squash player Joshna Chinappa, who recently participated in her seventh Asian Games, shared her emotions regarding representing Tamil Nadu and India. "It has been my greatest honour for the last two decades to play for Tamil Nadu and my country," she stated. Joshna highlighted the importance of the support given to athletes, including a pre-event cash award of ₹7 lakh for those attending the Asian Games.

A significant feature of the evening was the launch of the "Dream Olympics" player support scheme. This initiative aims to provide substantial financial backing to help athletes realise their sporting ambitions.

Under this scheme, all medalists from the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, including para-athletes, will receive an annual financial package of ₹50 lakh. This includes a monthly stipend of ₹1 lakh to assist with their training, nutrition, and international competitions.

Notable figures such as former India Davis Cup captain Ramesh Krishnan, Olympians V Baskaran, Md Riaz, and S Raman were also present at the function, witnessing this progressive step towards athlete development in the state.