Key Points

The project will see the establishment of turfs at the headquarters of 37 districts, while in Chennai, the facility will be located at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Each turf will cost Rs 60 lakh and will feature markings for both futsal and cricket, covered end-to-end nets, specialised futsal nets, and centralised lighting systems.

These facilities will also include adequate parking and will remain open until 1 a.m. to accommodate late-night players. Meghanath Reddy, Member-Secretary of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT), said the department will manage the turfs directly.

“We will roll out an app for bookings, modelled after private platforms. The hourly booking rates will range from Rs 800 to Rs 1,000, significantly lower than the Rs 1,500 charged by private operators,” he said.

Reddy pointed out that group bookings -- common among youngsters -- will make the cost more affordable.

“This initiative will make modern sports infrastructure, currently limited to cities, accessible to people in smaller towns and rural areas,” he added.

A standard box cricket turf will measure between 100 and 120 feet in length, and 50 to 70 feet in width, with a netted height of 20 feet. Each turf will be equipped with high-quality lighting to support night-time play.

The decision follows the success of a similar project in Chennai. The turf at Chepauk, managed by a private firm called Turf Town, generates a monthly revenue of around Rs 3 lakh.

“They handle operations through their own app and share profits with SDAT,” Reddy said.

In the second phase of the project, such turfs will also be established in village panchayats under the Chief Minister’s Mini Stadia Scheme, further expanding access to modern sporting facilities.

- IANS