Tamil Nadu Champions Foundation launched for sports development in the State

TNCF will be a registered company that will channelise and utilise contributions from the corporates and the public for the development of sports and sportspersons in the State.

Udhayanidhi Stalin, Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development, presenting ‘Veeran’ mascot to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin during the launch of Tamil Nadu Champions Foundation in Chennai on Monday. | Photo Credit: B. Jothi Ramalingam / The Hindu

The Tamil Nadu Champions Foundation (TNCF) was officially launched, and the Chief Minister’s Trophy 2023 logo, mascot, and theme song were unveiled at The Leela Palace here on Monday.

Tamil Nadu (TN) Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was the chief guest. TN Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development Udhayanidhi Stalin also presided over. Chennai Super Kings (CSK) captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the guest of honour.

The CM’s Trophy logo is the tamil word ‘Tamil Nadu’ with embedded illustrations of persons playing various sports and chess horse. It comes with the slogan ‘Kalam Namathae! (The field is ours!)‘. The mascot is the humanoid Nilgiri Tahr ‘Veeran.’

TNCF will be a registered company that will channelise and utilise contributions from the corporates and the public for the development of sports and sportspersons in the State.

Before the TNCF initiative took shape, Udhayanidhi had visited Odisha and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Odisha government.

“Odisha is called the pioneer of sports activities. For the first time in the State, an MOU has been signed with another State for promoting and sharing sports training and infrastructure. I assure you that the TNCF will take all the efforts to make TN a sports powerhouse of the Indian subcontinent,” he said.

He added that TNCF has so far received 23.5 crore rupees in donations from the State government and various companies.

Stalin hoped that Dhoni would continue to play for CSK and added that he wanted the State to produce more Dhonis in cricket and all the other sports. Stalin also said that he would personally donate five lakh rupees to TNCF.

Thangam Thennarasu, TN Minister for Industries, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, TN Minister for School Education, Dayanidhi Maran, MP - Chennai Central, Dr.V. Irai Anbu, Chief Secretary to TN government, Atulya Mishra, Additional Chief Secretary to TN government - Youth Welfare and Sports, J. Meghanatha Reddy, Member Secretary - Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), and N. Ramachandran, SDAT Vice Chairman were also present.