Vels opens Rs 25 crore sports campus as PT Usha kicks off Chennai expansion

CHENNAI: Vels FC was inaugurated by Indian Olympic Association president PT Usha in the presence of Vels Group of Institutions chairman Ishari K Ganesh, marking a major push in Tamil Nadu’s bid to become a sporting hub.

The new campus, built at a cost of Rs 25 crore, features a Fifa-standard football turf, a residential training complex and international coaching led by Spanish trainers. More than 200 players from across India have enrolled in structured programmes, and one student has been sponsored with Rs 20 lakh for advanced training in Spain.

The site also houses the Vels Swimming School, equipped with Olympic-standard lanes, a three-tier diving platform and a 3–12 feet pool: one of the most advanced aquatic facilities in the region.

At the launch, Ishari K Ganesh, also president of the Tamil Nadu Olympic Association, awarded Kabaddi gold medallists Karthika and Abinash scholarships worth Rs 1 lakh each. He announced that 80 students from rural Tamil Nadu will receive free training, accommodation, nutrition and education as part of a grassroots talent drive.

PT Usha lauded the offer of 500 free seats each year, 200 of them for sports achievers, and congratulated Ganesh on his unopposed re-election as TN Olympic Association president. TAOA general secretary Adhav Arjuna urged more institutions to invest in sport and appealed to the IOA chief to allow Tamil Nadu to host the National Games for the first time.

The opening of the Vels Football Residential Academy and Vels Swimming School signals a bold new chapter for Tamil Nadu’s sporting ambitions.