Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 6 : Tamil Nadu's Sports Minister Thiru Udhayanidhi Stalin chaired a high-level meeting today to take stock of the ongoing preparations ahead of the highly-anticipated Hero Asian Champions Trophy Chennai 2023, scheduled to begin on August 3 at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Egmore, Chennai.
The Government of Tamil Nadu is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring a successful tournament that will witness Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, China and hosts India vie for top honours.
The event is expected to draw keen followers as it's a precursor to the prestigious Hangzhou Asian Games in September.
"We had a very fruitful meeting with the Hon'ble Sports Minister of Tamil Nadu Government today in Chennai. We are happy with the progress made in upgrading the stadium to match the international standards followed by FIH and AHF. A brand-new turf is being laid for the tournament and several other facilities within the stadium premise have also been upgraded to amplify the experience for players and spectators," stated Hockey India Secretary General Shri Bhola Nath Singh.
"Under the leadership of Honourable CM Thala MK Stalin, The Sports Department led by the dynamic Thiru Udhayanidhi Stalin have gone all-out in their preparedness to host a successful event. Chennai is a vibrant city, with scores of hockey lovers. We expect people to turn up in large numbers and enjoy the matches," added Bhola Nath Singh.
The iconic Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium which hosted the Men's Asia Cup in 2007, where India lifted the title, is undergoing a major revamp. Apart from the main pitch, the 8000+ capacity stadium built in 1995 now houses a new half-court turf that can host the fast-paced five-a-side game in the future.
There are several upgrades too that are being made to the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, which has witnessed several domestic and international matches in the past, with the Tamil Nadu government leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the tournament meets international standards.
The players' dressing rooms, operational area, rooms for match officials as well as floodlights are receiving a face-lift to meet the FIH standards.
Hockey India Treasurer Sekar J Manoharan, who is also heading the State Member Unit in Tamil Nadu, was part of the meeting chaired by the Sports Minister today.
Expressing his gratitude to the government, Manoharan said, "We are deeply grateful to the Tamil Nadu Government for their efforts in hosting the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Chennai 2023. The officials are proactively working towards ensuring all the facilities are in place before the participating teams arrive in Chennai for the tournament. We also went through the security protocols for the tournament."
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