Chennai: Joining the about 15,000 participants of the ‘Start Run, Stop Drugs’ awareness marathon in Chennai from the Anna memorial on the Marina to the Island Grounds on the occasion of the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking on Friday, Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay said that a drug-free Tamil Nadu could be created by involving the youth in constructive activities like education, sports and skill development.
In his social media message, Vijay said awareness on the ill effects of drugs was essential to protect the youth from falling prey to drugs and to prevent crimes and called upon the people to stand by the government in its efforts to create a drug-free Tamil Nadu.
After flagging off the marathon, organized by the SDAT from the Anna memorial on the Marina to the Island Grounds , Vijay, clad in a black and grey tracksuit and white running shoes, joined the stream of runners and also interacted with the young participants.
He signed the plague inscribed with the legend ‘Start Run, Stop Drugs – Sports ah edu, Drugs ah vidu’ (Take sports, leave drugs).
Several Olympians and international sports personalities took part in the run. Prominent among those who ran with Vijay on the occasion were hockey legends V Bhaskaran, Mohamad Riyas, Thirumal Valavan, Arjuna Award winner Joshna Chinnappa, Padmashree awardee Anitha Pauldurai, several international coaches and SDAT trainees.
Other sports personalities who took part in the run were Raman and Sharatkamal (table tennis), Devarajan (boxing), Naganathan Pandi (athletics), C A Bhavanidevi (fencing), Tarun Ayyasamy and Revathy (both athletics),
Dronacharya Award winner Srinivasa Rao and Kavitha, the kabbadi player who won the Major Dhyan Chand Award and coaches like Petros (athletics) and William More (hockey) also participated in the event held early in the morning.
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