Tamil Nadu Minister for Public Works and Sports Development Aadhav Arjuna on Wednesday (June 3, 2026) called on Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya in New Delhi and submitted a memorandum outlining Tamil Nadu’s interest in hosting the 2029 National Games and seeking the Centre’s support for comprehensive sports development across the State.

According to a press release, Mr. Arjuna put forth several proposals to make Tamil Nadu India’s premier sporting destination. During the meeting, he highlighted the State’s proven track record in successfully hosting major national and international events and its willingness to host the 2029 National Games.

He also sought a National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Combat Sports within the upcoming 48-acre Olympic Academy in Tiruchi, a National Centre of Excellence for Beach Sports in Nagapattinam, an international-standard UCI-compliant indoor cycling velodrome and a National Cycling High-Performance Centre in Coimbatore, and international-standard 400-metre synthetic tracks in Pudukkottai, Thoothukudi, Villupuram, Tiruvallur, and Krishnagiri districts.

Further, regional Olympic-standard aquatic complexes were proposed for Coimbatore, Chengalpattu, Tiruvarur, and Tiruppur districts, while multipurpose indoor stadiums were proposed for Kallakurichi, Tirunelveli, Ranipet, and Cuddalore districts.

He also proposed setting up an International Sport Climbing Centre and a National Anti-Doping Education and Awareness Centre in Chennai, expansion of the Khelo India ecosystem across Tamil Nadu, and a National Sports Science, Sports Medicine, Recovery and Rehabilitation Centre in Madurai.