Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Thursday announced plans to develop a world-class Olympic City in Chennai, along with a dedicated motorsports city aimed at hosting Formula 1 races.
The announcements were made in the state Assembly as the government outlined plans to expand sports infrastructure and create more opportunities for athletes and motorsport talent.
Olympic City to offer high-performance facilities
The Tamil Nadu Olympic City will be developed by the Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority. The proposed facility will include sports arenas, modern sporting equipment and a High-Performance Training Centre.
It will also have dedicated Sports Science and Sports Medicine centres, along with accommodation for sportspersons and coaches.
The government intends to create an integrated training hub that can help athletes from Tamil Nadu prepare for the Olympics and other international competitions.
"World class, Olympics standard infra and training structure with residential facility will be built. This will help Chennai host international events and to churn out Olympians," Vijay said.
Chennai to get dedicated motorsports city
The chief minister also announced a separate motorsports city in Chennai, with plans to host Formula 1-4 races and create a structured pathway for young motorsport enthusiasts.
"An Olympic city will be set up in Chennai. A motor sports city will also be set up in Chennai to host Formula 1 races. The talents of youth in motor sports will be identified, and training and racing opportunities will be provided to create national and international level champions," the Chief Minister said in the Assembly.
The government said the proposed racing facilities could also support tourism, vehicle manufacturing, employment and economic activity.
"Establishing world-class motor vehicle car racing arenas will provide opportunities for tourism, special vehicle manufacturing industries, employment, and economic development."
Centre working on Formula 1 return
The announcements come as the Centre is also examining the prospects of bringing Formula 1 racing back to India.
In June, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports formed a task force to monitor motorsports and work towards the return of Formula 1 racing to the country by the end of 2028.
"We will try to bring back F1 in India by 2028. For this, we created a task force which monitors motor sports in the country and submits its report to the Ministry," an MYAS source told ANI on Saturday.