Chennai: A city that never goes unnoticed

Chennai is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. From one of the largest beaches to one of the biggest IT hubs in the world, this metro city is on the top on several fronts.

Chennai is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. From one of the largest beaches to one of the biggest IT hubs in the world, this metro city is on the top on several fronts. When it comes to sports, Tamil Nadu’s capital city is crazy for cricket. However, over the years, Football and Athletics are finding their way in the hearts of people in Chennai. Chennaiyin FC, an ISL football club has made a massive impact in a very short span. They have already won the ISL twice in 4 seasons. Subsequently, introduction of RFYS Football in 2016 assured the citizens of Chennai that their city will not only watch the professionals play but will also groom its youngsters to become one sporting hub.

2017 saw the introduction of Athletics in Chennai and the response was stunning. Chennai had a mammoth 90 athletes representing in the national championship. While Shivani P won the 200m finals clocking an impressive 26.28 seconds, Mourish B’s 1.95m jump earned him a high jump gold. In 5000m event, Santosh Kumar showed great endurance to win the race in 16:20.30 minutes.

The third edition of RFYS commenced on 4th September in Chennai featuring India’s young track and field athletes. With an eye on bolstering the goal of promoting sports at grassroots level, Chennai along with Lucknow were the inaugural destination for athletics. As the third season starts in Tamil Nadu’s capital, here are a few fascinating sporting facts about the city:

1. Squashing perfomer - Dipika Pallikal, India’s most successful squash player, was the first Indian woman to break into PSA Women’s Rankings belongs to Chennai.

2. Inspiration for all - Thangaveli Mariyappan’s effort of 1.89m in High Jump got India its first gold medal at 2016 Rio Paralympics. Mariyappan is also the recipient of prestigious Padma Shri award for his inspiring feat after he lost his right leg in an accident.

3. Changing times for better – The ISL has eventually created a liking for football among youngsters. To boost the same, Chennaiyin FC took initiative to visit schools all over the city to create interest for football among the students. Since then, many schools have started conducting football academies.

4. Superstar Paddlers – Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Achanta Sharath Kamal, who have won several national and international tournaments before, won India a bronze medal at the Asian Games 2018. Achanta Sharath Kamal won another bronze along with Manika Batra in the mixed doubles event.

5. Girl power - In RFYS Football tournament 2017-18, the girls from PS Senior Secondary School had a great run and were the runner-up in School Girls category.

The institutes from Chennai will hope to clinch the top honours again. This is a city with a knowledgeable crowd which exudes energy and it won’t be a surprise if Chennai makes a strong statement with some record-breaking feats in the City Championship itself.