Work on construction of three synthetic tennis courts begins

Facilities at the Anna Stadium in Tiruchi are set to get a boost with the establishment of a tennis complex housing three synthetic courts of international standards.

The courts with floodlights would come up at an estimated cost of Rs.1.11 crore under the Self Sufficiency Scheme (SSS) with public contribution. While the State government’s share would be Rs.74 lakh, the remaining funds have already been raised through public contribution with Apollo Hospitals and SRM Group of Institutions donating Rs.27 lakh and Rs.10 lakh respectively.

Launching the construction works at the stadium premises here on Saturday, Minister for School Education, Law, Youth Welfare and Sports N.R. Sivapathi said the facility would be of great help to tennis aspirants.

Mr. Sivapathi said that Tiruchi MP P. Kumar had provided Rs.50 lakh from the MP Local Area Development Fund for the walking track around the stadium. Collector Jayashree Muralidharan; Deputy Inspector General of Police, Tiruchi Range, A.Amalraj; MP Kumar; MLAs M.Paranjothi, R.Manoharan, T.P.Poonatchi, R.Chandrasekar and Indira Gandhi; Mayor A. Jaya, and P.Kalaiselvan, District Sports Officer, took part.

The 37-acre Anna Stadium complex presently has a synthetic hockey turf of international standards, flood-lit volleyball and basketball courts, football ground, swimming pool, gymnasium, tennis clay court, and a sports hostel.

A synthetic athletics track with floodlights will also come up at the stadium inside which construction of a multipurpose indoor stadium is nearing completion.

An official press release here said, The Chennai Silks in Tiruchi has contributed Rs.3 lakh for renovating the tennis clay court and providing it with floodlights.