Sports Minister meets Squash World Cup-winning athletes, vows full support for 2028 Olympics debut

Sports Development Department to Provide All Necessary Assistance to Tamil Nadu's World Cup-Winning Squash Players to Help Them Win Medals at the 2028 Olympics - Information from Hon'ble Minister for Public Works and Sports Development Thiru Athav Arjuna. The Hon'ble Minister for Public Works and Sports Development, Thiru Athav Arjuna, met and held discussions with the Tamil Nadu players who won the Squash World Cup, at the Secretariat today (23.05.2026). During the meeting, the Hon'ble Sports Development Minister told the players the following: Since assuming office, the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has been drawing up various far-sighted plans. Action plans are being formulated to enable Tamil Nadu's sportsmen and sportswomen to win medals at the Olympic Games. To achieve this goal, arrangements have been made for me to begin my office work every day at 7 a.m. at the Nehru Indoor Stadium, working together with senior sports department officials, sportspersons and sports association administrators to take up the necessary measures. In this way, you can approach me easily at any time, without any hesitation, to convey your needs. So far, sportspersons from Tamil Nadu have won Olympic medals only in team events such as hockey; we have not yet won medals in individual events. To change this situation in the coming years and enable young people from Tamil Nadu like you to participate in greater numbers at the Olympics and win medals in individual categories as well, far-sighted action plans are being formulated and implemented. With the goal of winning Olympic medals, senior government officials, sportspersons and coaches have been instructed to form a WhatsApp group that includes my mobile number. As a sportsperson myself, I know very well how difficult it is to win Olympic medals. For this purpose, the Sports Department is ready to provide all necessary assistance - sports-science-based training, nutritious food, high-quality training camps, consultations with nutrition experts, and top coaches - so as to keep India in the medal tally and bring glory to Tamil Nadu. It is notable that squash is being included in the Olympics for the first time in the upcoming edition. It is a matter of great pride that 3 of the 4 players in the Indian team that won last year's Squash World Cup are from Tamil Nadu. Following this World Cup victory, our next goal is to win medals at the Olympic Games. Accordingly, the Sports Development Department will take all necessary steps to provide the assistance required to win medals at the 2028 Olympics. This is what the Hon'ble Minister for Sports Development, Thiru Athav Arjuna, told the sportspersons. The discussion was also attended by Thiru Vajjan Singh Ra Sawan, IAS, Secretary to Government, Youth Welfare and Sports Development Department; Thiru J. Meganatha Chetty, IAS, Member Secretary, Tamil Nadu Sports Development Authority; Thiru Se. Suman, District Revenue Officer; Smt. L. Sujatha, General Manager; Thiru Feras Poonchaa, General Secretary, Tamil Nadu Squash Association; squash player Abhay Singh, the coach, and squash sportswomen. Issued by: Director, Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Chennai-9