Against minister’s wish, ‘dabangs’ ruining sports culture
Even though sports minister Chetan Chauhan has stressed on maximum utilisation of stadiums to promote sports and sportspersons in Uttar Pradesh, the officials are yet to rise to the occasion.
Two prominent stadiums in Lucknow – KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium and Chowk Stadium – are being allegedly controlled by “powerful people” who are running their shows for several years. The cricket activities at the Chowk Stadium are being run by a private cricket academy, which reportedly has the support of one of the ministers in the Yogi Adityanath government. Trainees come here throughout the year and are charged hefty amount as monthly fee. Sources confirm that as a cover up to ‘private training’, the authorities pay routine fee of the cricketers to the government and pocket the remaining amount. “We are helpless as the people behind this academy have links with higher officials and even the stadium authorities are hand in glove,” blamed an official.
FOOTBALLING FOR FUN
At the KD Singh ‘Babu’ stadium, a group of veterans, including cricketers, footballers, journalists, businessmen and contractors, have been enjoying soccer just for fun every morning for the last many years, depriving genuine sportspersons from occupying the field for training.
Even after paying full fee of the ground booking for a cricket match or any other event, genuine sportspersons and organisers keep waiting till the end of the ‘special football’ match, and even the stadium authorities don’t dare to stop them.
“These footballers occupy the stadium and ruin the training of genuine sportspersons,” accepted the regional sports office SS Mishra on Thursday, adding, “We are short of staff but soon we are going to launch a drive to evacuate the illegal occupants from the stadium.”
He also accepted the existence of a private cricket academy at the Chowk Stadium.
It is learnt that during the rainy season last year when the sporting activities were stopped at the KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium for the maintenance of the outfield, some footballers had broke opened the fencing and ruined the outfield, playing football in wet mud.
BOOKING DRAMA
An alleged fake ground booking racket has also been depriving genuine organisers from conducting events or tournaments at the government-run stadiums in the state capital. As one approaches the clerk for booking the ground, one comes to know it has been booked in the name of some bureaucrat, journalist or any other influential person.
“You better talk to the person concerned. If he agrees to lend you the ground, only then you can conduct your event here,” this is what one gets to listen.
What happens next is astonishing – the organisers/players are asked to pay ‘extra’ to the individual who has already booked the stadium.
“Everyone knows about the booking racket, and it is happening for the last many years but people are tight-lipped. Sports or sporting infrastructure in the state capital is meant only for those who are well-connected,” claimed Rakesh Mishra, who had a bad experience while trying to book a stadium for a match.