New Delhi: Athletes coaching on the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium within the Capital had been shocked as they entered the nation’s premier sports activities venue on Monday morning. A pile of rubbish was strewn all throughout the primary athletics observe and the stands following Punjabi icon Diljit Dosanjh’s two-day live performance.
Trash on the Jawaharlal Nehra Stadium in New Delhi. (HT Picture)
The observe had been closed for 10 days due to the musical occasion and is prone to be shut for just a few extra days because the organisers clear up the mess. A number of athletes coaching for the Junior Nationwide Championships and different home occasions shifted to the worn out warm-up observe outdoors the primary stadium. They stated their preparation has been hit.
On Saturday, Hindustan Instances reported that athletics tools belonging to the trainees had been broken by the organisers. A video with HT confirmed locks had been damaged and hurdles dumped in a nook. Worse nonetheless, when the trainees on Monday reached JLN Stadium – it’s owned by Sports activities Authority of India – they had been dejected on the sight of beer bottles, plastic, meals and trash littered throughout by followers who attended Dosanjh’s Dil-Luminati tour.
“It was such a bad sight. We worship this place and see what they have done?” stated sprinter Ajit, who’s making ready for the junior nationals in Odisha, which was postponed final week attributable to Cyclone Dana. The All India Police Championships can be scheduled for subsequent month.
“We tried cleaning up the place but it was not possible,” stated the Delhi state and Faculty Video games Federation of India medallist.
One other Delhi sprinter Rahul Raj Mahato stated it was troublesome to coach on the skin warm-up observe as it’s outdated and worn out. “You can see the base. There is a chance of injury. They (concert organisers) damaged our hurdles. Who will pay?”
Beant Singh, a Youth Asia 800m champion was seething. “We enter the stadium after taking a bow. This is the respect we have. We take care and clear debris. It is not meant to hold a party. How can elite athletes train here?”
“There is also the Ferozeshah Kotla stadium, but can they host a concert in a cricket stadium? They will never be allowed,” stated the 16-year-old.
The JLN Stadium was the centrepiece of the 1982 Asian Video games and was renovated for the 2010 Commonwealth Video games. The venue has already been stripped of its standing as a Class 1 facility by World Athletics because the artificial observe was not re-laid as per norms and developed a “depression”. SAI carried out minor restore work and reopened it for coaching. SAI, whose headquarters is within the premises, had de-notified it as a Nationwide Centre of Excellence.
In line with SAI, 70,000 individuals attended the live performance over two days. “The stadium is expected to be cleaned up by 29th. SAI’s contract with the organisers states that they will return the stadium to SAI in the same way it was handed over to them,” SAI stated.
When HT visited the venue after the primary day’s live performance, there have been no bins in place. “No dustbins could be seen at the venue and so most people had simply thrown pizza boxes, food, water bottles and empty beer bottles. Waste items were thrown on the track, which had not been covered by the organisers,” stated Meharpreet Kaur, 29, who attended Saturday’s live performance.
The stadium premises is let loose by SAI for sports activities and non-sports occasions as per a Public Personal Partnership mannequin to generate funds.
“You look at the SAI website, the stadium is always booked for private events. It is being only used for commercial purposes and not for sports. Even the warm-up area is sometimes given out to private bodies for events. It is difficult to get dates to even hold state meets,” an official stated.
SAI stated the venue was given for the live performance as no camps had been being held. “The only athletes who come for sports practice in JLN are of the Come and Play scheme, which is for children who are just starting out. No elite, junior or sub junior athletes train in JLN,” stated SAI. Coaches disagree.
“Athletes from Delhi-NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and even Rajasthan and Bihar train here. Outstation athletes stay in rented accommodation nearby. It’s a lifeline for so many elite, budding and para athletes,” stated a coach.
(With inputs from Jasjeev Gandhiok)