Tamil Nadu launches ‘Dream Olympics 2036’ scheme to groom future Olympic champions

The programme will provide athletes emerging from the Asian Games, Para Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and Para Commonwealth Games with high-quality training and financial support. Each athlete inducted into the programme will receive ₹50 lakh annually, while the initiative will also provide a monthly stipend of ₹1 lakh to elite medal-winning athletes, according to the announcements.

The broader programme will include 10 Olympic Centres of Excellence, Tamil Nadu Olympic City, Tamil Nadu Sports City and SDAT Olympic Illam. The proposed Olympic City in Chennai is planned with high-performance training facilities, sports science and sports medicine centres, modern sporting arenas and accommodation for athletes and coaches.

The government has also announced substantial cash incentives for future Olympic performances — ₹5 crore for gold, ₹3 crore for silver and ₹2 crore for bronze.

At Thursday’s event, Vijay distributed a total of ₹8.57 crore in incentives and special financial assistance to 32 sportspersons. This included ₹7.65 crore for 13 Tamil Nadu athletes who won medals at the 2026 Asian Games, ₹60 lakh for five medal-winning chess players, ₹18 lakh for 12 members of the Tamil Nadu women’s sub-junior basketball team and ₹14 lakh in special assistance to two athletes selected for the upcoming Para Asian Games.

The initiative is aimed at creating a sustained pathway from grassroots talent identification to elite Olympic preparation, with the state seeking to strengthen its presence across international sporting competitions.