skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Stadium to come up at Divisional Sports Complex
By Paritosh Pramanik
FINALLY, there is a good news for hockey lovers of city as well as of entire Vidarbha. The long-cherished dream of city players of displaying their skills on an astro turf is going to be a reality in a couple of years.
After the first-ever Athletics Synthetic Track at Divisional Sports Complex in Mankapur, Divisional Commissioner Anup Kumar has okayed the proposal of Hockey Astro Turf, too. The astro turf proposal got green signal during a meeting held on July 5.
A hockey stadium will also be built at the sports complex with Krida Suvidha Nidhi (Sports facilities fund).
“We have okayed the proposal of hockey astro turf at Divisional Sports Complex. A detailed proposal will be forwarded to the Director of Sports and Youth Affairs, Pune,” Anup Kumar informed ‘The Hitavada.’
Talking about the hockey stadium he added that the Divisional Sports Complex would be getting Rs 9 crore under the Krida Suvidha Nidhi. “We will use that fund in construction of the stadium.”
The hockey stadium will come up near the synthetic athletics track.
Deputy Director of Sports Subhash Rewatkar said that two acres land near the synthetic track has been marked for hockey astro turf stadium.
“A master plan of the stadium will be prepared and then it will be submitted to the NIT who will build the stadium,” Rewatkar said.
The astro turf can become a reality within two years if the synthetic track work is taken into consideration. The track and related infrastructure came up with a rapid pace once the Devendra Fadnavis Government gave green signal to the development of sports and infrastructure in the city.
PROPOSAL TO BUILD WARM-UP AREA
FOR ATHLETICS
ON Wednesday, Rewatkar held a meeting with NIT officials and Dr Sharad Suryawanshi, vice-president, Maharashtra Athletics Association and other office-bearers for construction of warm-up area near the synthetic track.
Suryawanshi has requested to construct a 400-metre warm-up track adjacent to the main track. Though paucity of land will be a big factor in fulfilling this demand a 200-metre warm-up area is possible near the synthetic track. “We will try for the best,” Rewatkar assured.
Principal Correspondent
THE synthetic athletics track coming up at the Divisional Sports Complex, Mankapur has inched a step closer to getting qualifying certificate from world athletics governing body. Members of Athletics Federation of India (AFI) recently visited the venue and after inspecting the track and its surroundings have informed the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) about its completion.
The newly-laid synthetic track and the pavilion which is being constructed at a total cost of Rs 25 crore has now received Class II Certification and has been listed on the IAAF website after it was updated on July 1, 2017.
It’s now just a matter of time when the synthetic track sees light of the day and athletes from Nagpur and Vidarbha region show their mettle on the track.
“A letter has been sent to the construction company who would pay the certification fees to the IAAF. After that we would get the completion certificate from the IAAF and AFI,” Deputy Director of Sports Subhash Rewatkar told ‘The Hitavada.’
After Balewadi, Pune, Aurangabad, Nashik and Mumbai, Nagpur’s would be the fifth synthetic track in the state.
“After getting the certificate we will seek Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ dates for inauguration of the track,” informed Rewatkar. Competitions will follow soon, he added.
In September the Under-14 to Under-19 age categories athletics competitions will be held at the synthetic track. The championships will be organised by District Sports Office and Deputy Director of Sports and Youth Services, Nagpur. In December Under-14 nationals athletics meet for boys is also allotted to Nagpur by School Games Federation of India. A meeting of Games Officials was held in Pune on May 24 where it was decided to allot the state meet to Nagpur.
It has been almost two decades when the land for the sports complex was allotted by the government. After construction of indoor complex, the work order for synthetic track was given to New Delhi based Sports Infratech Private Limited for a total cost of Rs 17.53 crore. But the company failed to keep its promise and showed inability to complete the work. The administration then canceled contract with the Delhi-based company and roped in Nagpur’s Musle Constructions which took the work of laying sand on the track.
Later in September 2016, Nagpur’s Super Construction Company took the contract for a total cost of Rs 12.66 crore.
The 400-metre synthetic track, which is of international standard, has been built on 8517 square metres of land. It has nine lanes on the east side and 10 lanes on the west side. Each lane is of 1.22 metre.
On the west side, the 10th lane is for 100 metres races. On the same side, two long jump sand pits as well as a triple jump pits are being constructed.
Events like shot put, pole vault, hammer throw, javelin throw will be held on the north and south sides of the track. The water pit for 3000 metres steeple chase event will be constructed later on the north side of the track.
Bermuda grass, brought from Panchgaon, Umrer has been laid on 7466.30 square metre for football field which is of international size. The grass is being laid in the inner area of the synthetic track.
Below the Bermuda grass, layers of black cotton soil, sand, red soil have been used. Between the red soil, filtration pipes have been laid for underground drainage system.
The football field has 35 water sprinklers to water the field.
The entire project was overlooked by Malaysian engineers. Both the engineers were appointed by International Association of Athletics Federations. All the construction material has being imported from Germany, it was learnt. The work of pavilion will start soon.
The pavilion will be constructed at a total cost of Rs 11.34 crore. It will have a seating capacity of 35,000-40,000 spectators.
