The Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) runs most of Chennai’s big public sports venues: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and the indoor stadium beside it at Periamet, the hockey stadium at Egmore, the tennis stadium at Nungambakkam and the aquatic complex at Velachery. All of them are run by the state, and several are open to ordinary residents for training as well as for hosting national and international events.
The authority’s head office is at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Raja Muthiah Road, Periyamet, Chennai 600 003. The phone number SDAT publishes on its current CM Trophy site is 95140 00777, and the email is sdat@tn.gov.in, according to the CM Trophy 2026 portal. This guide covers what each venue has, how the public can use them and where coaching fits in.
The main SDAT venues in Chennai
The figures below come from the Youth Welfare and Sports Development Department’s 2024-25 policy note, the latest one we could open, which lists seating and key facilities for each venue.
| Venue | Area | Seating | Key facilities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium | Periamet | 40,000 | 400m eight-lane synthetic track, football turf, 10m shooting range |
| Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium | Periamet | 8,000 | Air-conditioned wooden-floor hall, open-air skating rink |
| Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium | Egmore | 8,670 | Synthetic hockey pitch, new pavilion opened July 2023 |
| SDAT Tennis Stadium | Nungambakkam | 7,000 | Centre court and six practice courts, floodlit |
| SDAT Aquatic Complex (AGB) | Velachery | 4,000* | 50m eight-lane racing pool, 5m-deep diving pool, warm-up pool, badminton hall, gym |
*Seating for Velachery is from the 2023-24 policy note.
The same notes list an Integrated Sports Complex with a synthetic track, football turf, an indoor hydrotherapy pool, air-conditioned squash courts and a badminton hall. Multipurpose indoor halls are listed at the Nehru Park Sports Complex, Shenoy Nagar, Velachery and Mogappair. Nehru Stadium also houses a State Sports Facilitation Centre and a fitness centre.
Using the facilities as a member of the public
SDAT venues are not just for elite athletes, but access works through the authority’s own booking and membership system rather than walk-in entry. The 2024-25 policy note lists “Online Stadia Booking” and “Online Membership Booking” among the services now available online; the year before, the department had described both as about to launch. In practice that means:
- Memberships for regular users such as walkers, swimmers and players are bought through SDAT’s online membership service or at the venue office.
- Stadium and court bookings for events, tournaments and group use go through online stadia booking.
- Fees differ by venue, sport and duration. We could not open an official fee schedule this week, so check the current rate at the venue office or on sdat.tn.gov.in before you pay.
Venues close to the public when they host big events. Nehru Stadium is Chennaiyin FC’s home ground in the Indian Super League, the tennis stadium hosts the WTA Chennai Open from 2 to 8 November 2026, and the hockey stadium hosts league and international matches through the year.
Coaching and talent programmes
SDAT’s coaching runs on several tracks. The 2024-25 policy note records 76 new coaches appointed, three high-performance foreign coaches and five expert coaches recruited, and two expert coaches engaged for para athletes. Most structured coaching is attached to the sports hostels and Centres of Excellence, which admit school and college students through selection trials each April and May.
In Chennai, the 2023-24 note places a sports hostel and a Centre of Excellence for school boys at Nehru Stadium, with a Sports Hostel of Excellence for college boys, and matching girls’ facilities at the Integrated Sports Complex. There is also a Sports Authority of India training centre with a boys’ hostel at Nehru Stadium.
For everyone else, the most common route onto these grounds is the annual Chief Minister’s Trophy games, which hold district and state rounds at SDAT venues.
What changed in 2026
On 8 October 2026, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay launched a scheme called Dream Olympics 2036 at an event in Chennai, DT Next reported. The report lists 10 Olympic Centres of Excellence, a Tamil Nadu Olympic City, a Tamil Nadu Sports City and an SDAT Olympic Illam among its parts, along with cash rewards of ₹5 crore, ₹3 crore and ₹2 crore for Olympic gold, silver and bronze. No total budget was given, and locations for the new centres have not yet been announced on an official page. Aadhav Arjuna is the minister holding the sports development portfolio, the report said.
The venues themselves keep getting upgrades for events. The hockey stadium, built in 1995, was refurbished for the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy and hosted the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup in late 2025, according to the FIH venue page.
Quick answers
Can anyone swim at the Velachery aquatic complex?
The complex is an SDAT venue with racing, diving and warm-up pools. Public use runs through SDAT membership; check the current batch timings and fees at the venue or on sdat.tn.gov.in.
Where is the SDAT head office?
At Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Raja Muthiah Road, Periyamet, Chennai 600 003. The nearest metro is Puratchi Thalaivar Dr. M.G. Ramachandran Central.
How do I book an SDAT stadium for an event?
Use the online stadia booking service listed on the SDAT website, or contact the authority at its head office. Large venues are often booked well ahead for league and international events.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Policy Note 2024-25, Youth Welfare and Sports Development Department (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Policy Note 2023-24, Youth Welfare and Sports Development Department (Government of Tamil Nadu)
- CM Trophy 2026 official site, contact details (SDAT)
- Dream Olympic 2036: CM Vijay launches scheme with eye on Olympic glory (DT Next)
- Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium venue page, Junior World Cup 2025 (FIH)
