A recognition for emerging Tamil Nadu sportspersons

Ten budding sportspersons were presented with ₹50,000 each astatine the Chennai Super Kings-Tamil Nadu Sports Journalists’ Association Scholarships 2025-26 held with the enactment of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association astatine the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium connected Tuesday.

Chess prodigies — the eight-year-old Tamizh Amudhan (the lone under-9 subordinate successful the satellite rated supra 2000 Elo) and nine-year-old R. Aaranya (Asian younker champion) — were the youngest beneficiaries this year.

Among those contiguous were CSK’s Wholetime Director Rupa Gurunath, CEO K.S. Viswanathan, India under-19 World Cup-winning skipper and CSK batter Ayush Mhatre, golden medal-winning hockey Olympic skipper V. Baskaran, and array tennis fable Sharath Kamal.

The different salient sportspersons were seasoned volleyball subordinate M. Ukkrapandian, erstwhile India U-19 cricket skipper M. Senthilnathan, erstwhile TN cricketer S. Sharath (BCCI inferior enactment committee chairman), and India footballer R. Sandhiya.

TNCA president T.J. Srinivasa Raj, caput U. Bhagwandas Rao and Dr. R.N. Baba were besides successful attendance.

Hailing the TNSJA’s efforts, Rupa Gurunath promised to proceed CSK’s enactment for talented sportspersons.

“It’s an honour to transportation guardant my begetter N. Srinivasan’s legacy. He has ever supported each sports, not conscionable cricket.

“I liked what was said earlier that this should not beryllium your (athletes’) destination, but a motion that you are connected the close path. It’s humbling to beryllium present and stock the signifier with these young athletes. I’m blessed to beryllium portion of this and to proceed supporting the association,” she said.

Viswanathan added: “We are contributing to a origin that is bully for each sports. CSK is simply a franchise that doesn’t absorption lone connected cricket. It’s a contented acceptable by N. Srinivasan, and we are pursuing it.”

Mhatre wished the grant recipients the precise best. “I besides began my cricketing travel astatine a young age. I tin recognize however this assistance tin motivate [the young sportspersons]. I admit TNSJA for doing this. All the champion to the youngsters,” helium said.

Baskaran was besides afloat of praise, but helium had a request: “Appreciate TNSJA for wonderfully selecting these champions. I enactment my bosom into it, and I inquire you to marque it overmuch bigger. I privation each jock a fantastic travel successful the adjacent future.”

Sharath Kamal urged the young awardees to purpose higher. “Firstly, it’s a fantastic event, getting to conscionable our chap superstars successful assorted sports and, astatine the aforesaid time, the young, talented harvest of athletes. It’s a large job, TNSJA.

“The assistance gives them the close information to spell ahead. I privation I had this benignant of enactment erstwhile I was young. It’s bully to spot slowly, implicit time, the different sports having idiosyncratic superstars,” Sharath said.

Thanking the TNSJA, erstwhile assistance recipient A.V. Jayaveena (former India swimmer) spoke astir the profound interaction it had connected her aboriginal sporting journey.

“This is thing that I profoundly value. When I deliberation of it today, I realise however overmuch this designation and assistance meant to maine astatine that constituent successful time. Yes, it gave confidence, belief, and, precise importantly, a consciousness that I was connected the close path. Thank you truthful much, TNSJA, for doing that and for bringing successful that civilization of encouragement,” she said.

Jayaveena near the young athletes with an impactful portion of advice: “To each the awardees, delight marque definite this designation is not the destination, but a precise humble beginning. Make definite this fuels the hunger, discipline, and passionateness you person for the sport”.