Vijay’s Swearing-In Affects Athletics Meet, Players Told To Reach Stadium By 5 AM

Chennai: Two big events have collided together in Chennai on Sunday. On one hand, Indian Open Athletics Series-6 is to be organised, while on the other hand, TVK chief C. Joseph Vijay will take oath as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium at 10 am. Both the events are taking place in the same area, hence expect huge crowd, VIP movement and tight security arrangements in the entire area.

Why were the players called so early in the morning?

Tamil Nadu Athletics Association has issued a notice which clearly states that the players who will participate in the events to be held between 6 am and 7:30 am will have to reach the stadium by 5 am. Whereas players participating in the matches from 7:30 to 11:30 am will have to take entry before 6:30 am. This decision has been taken to avoid traffic and security jams.

What problems have increased due to the swearing-in ceremony?

Due to Vijay's swearing-in, preparations are being made for heavy traffic diversion in the entire area. Vehicles may be stopped on many routes or will be diverted in another direction. Due to the movement of VIP convoys and strict security checks, the common people as well as the players may face difficulty in reaching the spot on time.

What are the big matches in the morning session?

The finals of the women's discus throw, 100-metre hurdles and long jump are all in the morning. Men's 110-metre hurdles races are also to be held at the same time. Now imagine, at a time when roads are blocked in the city due to swearing-in, VIP convoys are passing out, at the same time the players have to give their best on the field. This is not an easy thing. An athlete's preparation is very delicate, if the routine is disturbed then the performance is directly affected. In such a situation, the worry of reaching on time and the pressure of the big final on top of that, this Sunday will really not be easy for the players.

When will the competition end?

If everything goes as per the schedule then the matches will continue till around 9 pm. This means that after the hustle and bustle of the morning, the whole day will be devoted to athletics. There is only one hope that the effect of morning crowd and traffic does not reach inside the ground and the players can play their game without any problem.