Chennai: On the occasion of Olympics Day on Tuesday, sports minister Aadhav Arjuna revealed plans to establish 10 Olympic academies across the state.Aadhav said the govt is working on a new sports structure targeting children in the 8-18 age group to produce Olympic medal winners.He also said that all the sports hostel rooms will be air-conditioned. New facilities for boxing and football are also being built. A new stadium will be built on ECR where corporate events can also take place, he added.A dedicated policy for schools will be introduced soon to strengthen the sporting ecosystem from an early age.“Women athletes have often been given less importance, and issues such as sexual harassment cannot be ignored. Equal opportunities and equal financial support must be provided to women athletes too,” he said. “ In our govt, women will be given equal importance in sports,” he added.Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) will take strict action int cases of sexual harassment to ensure a safe environment for athletes, the minister said. SDAT signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with JSW Sports to identify and nurture homegrown talent in the state.The minister also underlined the role of sports in tackling the growing issue of substance abuse among youngsters.
