Construction of multipurpose sports complex in Salem to be completed in 12 months

Construction of a ₹20 crore sports complex in Karuppur, Salem district, to be completed in 12 months.

The construction of a multipurpose sports complex in Karuppur, Salem district, is expected to be completed within 12 months.

Currently, Salem lacks a proper sports facility for athletes and the public, with Mahatma Gandhi Stadium on Omalur Main Road being the only available ground. This stadium is used by hundreds of athletes for training and by the public for morning and evening walks. However, it suffers from water stagnation during the rainy season, causing delays in its usability.

In response to demands from students and athletes, the Tamil Nadu government directed the Salem district administration to identify land for a new sports complex. Subsequently, 18 acres of land were allocated in Karuppur.

Last week, Sports Development Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin laid the foundation stone for the complex via video conferencing from Coimbatore. The sports complex, to be constructed at a cost of ₹20 crore, will feature an entrance plaza, parking lot, administration block, indoor stadium, gallery, 400-metre track, football ground, basketball, tennis, and volleyball courts, as well as grounds and tracks for kho-kho, skating, long jump, triple jump, and hockey. Additionally, there will be indoor volleyball and badminton courts, a gym, a café, a water tank, a swimming pool, and toilet facilities.

Salem District Sports Officer S. Sivaranjan stated that construction, handed over to a Bengaluru-based company, will begin before the end of the month, with completion expected within 12 months.