Students at the summer sports camp launched by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu at Seethakathi Sethupathi Sports Stadium in Ramanathapuram on Friday.
| Photo Credit: BALACHANDAR L
As the 21-day summer sports camp for school students kicked off at Seethakathi Sethupathi Sports Stadium in Ramanathapuram from Friday, more than 300 students eagerly took part in the coaching session.
M. Dhinesh Kumar, District Sports Officer, said as per the direction of the Youth Welfare and Sports Development Department, every year a summer camp session for students on not less than five sports would be conducted in every district.
Similarly, in Ramanathapuram district also, six games – athletics, hockey, tennis, badminton, judo and football – would be taught to the students in the 21 days, he added.
“While the only criterion for the students is to be less than 18 years, anyone who is interested in physical training can take part in the sessions,” Mr. Dhinesh Kumar said.
As the camp would encompass training from basic physical exercise to hard core sports training, even a student with no prior sports experience could be trained during the sessions, he stated.
The main motive of the 21-day training was not just to train them in sports, but to keep them on routine and teach them lifestyle disciplines through exercises and sports, he said.
“As students are asked to be present by 6:15 a.m. and can leave by 8:30 a.m., they will start waking up early to be here on time,” he added.
The enthusiasm they get in the ground would motivate them to not miss a single day of training, he observed.
On maintaining health of the students during training, Mr. Dhinesh Kumar said that to fulfil the nutritious requirement of the students, the government has allocated funds to provide them with food every morning after the training.
“Using that, we provide healthy snacks like fruits, sprouts, milk, egg, among others to keep the students fit enough to train under the sun,” he added.
Towards the end of the camp, a tournament would be conducted, and a participation certificate would be distributed to the students.
“By motivating students and parents about the benefits of sports training and 3% reservation for students excelling in sports, we believe more students would participate in sports activities,” he explained.
Published – April 26, 2025 09:19 pm IST