CHENNAI: After providing incentives to the tune of over Rs 2.2 crore to outstanding sportspersons in the state earlier, it was the turn of their coaches to be recognised with financial rewards.
Stating the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s keen interest in making the state foremost in the country in sports, the Minister for Sports and Environment, T.P.M. Mohideen Khan, said on Tuesday that this was reflected in the way the Government came forward to encourage outstanding performers and their coaches in sports.
The Minister was speaking at a function organised by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu on behalf of the Government, where the Chief Minister’s Award of Rs. 1 lakh each was given to seven coaches and physical education teachers who had a hand in developing medal-winning performers in athletics and various games in the previous two years.
Financial incentives were also disbursed to coaches of sportspersons who had won medals in international meets like the Commonwealth Games at Melbourne, the Doha Asian Games and the SAF Games, Colombo, in 2006.
In all, the incentives amounted to Rs. 33.21 lakh with P. Nagarajan, a superintendent in Customs and Central Excise but known for his role as chief coach of St. Joseph’s College Prime Sports Academy, getting the biggest cheers.
Nagarajan was first called to receive the CM’s award. He returned to receive another for Rs. 2.25 lakh as coach of S. Santhi (800m silver medallist at Doha) and one more for Rs. 40,500 (Wayne Peppin’s gold in long jump and Santhi’s 1,500m gold, 800m silver and 4x400m relay gold, all at the SAF Games). Santhi herself was present to cheer him.
Santhi, who has gone through difficult times after failing a gender test, was forced to quit the athletics scene since. The SDAT has now taken her into its fold as an athletics coach.
Additionally, 27 SDAT coaches were given special kits on the occasion. The SDAT Member Secretary, Atulya Misra earlier welcomed the gathering. Others on the dais included SDAT vice-presidents, B. Sivanthi Adityan and S. Kumaraswamy, M. Raman, secretary, Youth Welfare and Sports Development, N. Ramachandran, SRFI Secretary-General and Executive committee member SDAT, among others.
The other CM’s award winners: S. Dakshinamoorthy (SAI volleyball coach, Chennai), M. Janakiraman (athletics Physical Education Teacher, Chennai), A. Nagarajan (SDAT weighlifting coach, Vellore), C. Arumugham (volleyball coach, Swamy Sivananda HSS, Coimbatore), K. Loganathan (PET, Ambur Cooperative sugar Mills HSS, Vellore) and Ms. S. Amalorpavam (PET, St. Mary’s Girls HSS, Arisipalayam, Salem).
Coaches of eminent sportspersons honoured: Commonwealth Games 2006: Tamilselvan (weightlifting) Rs. 4.50 lakh; A. Muralidara Rao / A. Srinivasa Rao (table tennis) Rs. 3.75 lakh each; R. Parasuraman (athletics) Rs. 1.50 lakh.
Doha Games: S. Krishnan (chess) Rs. 3 lakh; B. George (athletics) Rs. 2.25 lakh,Vikram Sethi (golf) Rs. 2.25 lakh (both were not present); Maj S. Maniam (squash) Rs. 75,000; Cyrus Poncha (squash) Rs. 75,000 lakh. \
SAF Games: Bobby George (athletics) Rs. 15,000; P.C. Thyagi (athletics) Rs. 3,750, B. Ramasamy (hockey) Rs. 9000, Nikolai Snesarev (athletics) Rs. 15,000 (all not present); Selvaraj Robert (athletics) Rs. 3,750; Paul Jayaseelan (athletics) Rs. 7,500; Cyrus Poncha (squash) Rs. 21,750; A. Srinivasa Rao / A. Muralidara Rao (table tennis) Rs. 13,500 each; P. Kalaiselvan (volleyball) Rs. 3,000.