Ministry opens four Delhi stadia for all

YOUNGSTERS WILL ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO THESE STADIA AND CAN PLAY A GAME OF THEIR CHOICE BY ADVANCE ONLINE BOOKING

NEW DELHI: In an unprecedented move, the Sports Ministry has decided to provide access to four of its sporting infrastructure, including the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Karni Singh Shooting range, free of cost to federations and athletes from November 1.

The decision was made in an effort to promote the Fit India Movement and to make playfields and sporting infrastructure accessible to all sports persons across the country, the ministry said in a statement.

The first phase will see stadiums in the capital, including Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Indira Gandhi Stadium, Major Dhyanchand National Stadium and Karni Singh Shooting Range being opened for state and national federations to host competitions, tournaments and leagues of all sporting disciplines.

Each stadium has been earmarked for a specific sport. The Nehru stadium will host football leagues, training and competitions organised by federations, while IG stadium will be earmarked for wrestling, boxing, judo and badminton. Shooting competitions will be hosted at Karni Singh range and hockey and swimming at National Stadium.

Talking about the move, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government was trying its best to provide aspiring athletes with enough playfields,and to children and those interested in fitness and sports. “The Ministry has at its disposal some of the best sporting infrastructure of the country, and they need to be utilised for the benefit of promoting sporting culture and ecosystem in the country,” Rijiju said.

“The intention of the ministry is to increase use of existing sports infrastructure by three times in the next three months,” he added. However according to a ministry source, the electricity charges will have to be borne by the federations as per usage.

“In case the competition is of national level, Sports Authority of India may bear that cost on a case-to-case basis,” the source said. The new policy will also allow non-SAI coaches to train their athletes at the stadia without any charge, provided that the coach has a minimum of at least 10 wards under his tutelage. Training sessions can be booked by a coach online from Nov 1.