Three months on, new gym in Lucknow fails to take off
LUCKNOW: The newly established modern gymnasium at the KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium here has failed to take off as it remains locked ever since it was opened in December last. The regional sports office, which is responsible for running the gym, is yet to formulate a plan.
While inaugurating the gymnasium with much fanfare, sports and youth welfare minister Chetan Chauhan had termed it important for sportspersons. An amount of Rs 127.39 lakh has been spent on the gymnasium.
“We are preparing a policy to run the gymnasium. Hopefully, it will start functioning in April,” regional sports officer Jitendra Yadav said. “After the gym was inaugurated, we repeatedly asked the authorities to ensure its functioning but we did not get a satisfactory reply from them,” an inmate of the boys’ hockey hostel at KD Singh ‘Babu’ Stadium said on condition of anonymity.
Over a hundred inmates of four hostels – boys’ hockey, girls’ hockey, girls’ athletics and boys’ swimming – required new equipment for strength and fitness. Over 50-60 fitness freaks also come to the stadium on routine basis but due to non-functioning of the new gym, the government is losing good money which it can earn through members.
“It’s a waste of government money. The authorities do not have a plan to run it,” a fitness freak Ranjit Kumar said. “It’s public money which has been
WHILE INAUGURATING THE GYMNASIUM WITH MUCH FANFARE, SPORTS AND YOUTH WELFARE MINISTER CHETAN CHAUHAN HAD TERMED IT IMPORTANT FOR SPORTSPERSONS. AN AMOUNT OF RS 127.39 LAKH HAS BEEN SPENT ON THE GYMNASIUM
spent on its establishment but the authorities are not discharging their duties properly,” he alleged. He suggested if regional sports office was unable to run the gym it should be given on lease to private players.
He also questioned the quality of machines and equipment. “There is no company in the name of Ifit in India which manufactures fitness equipment. There should be a proper inquiry into the machines installed at the gym,” he said.
Director of Ifit Chetan refused to accept that machines installed at the KD ‘Babu’ Stadium gym are of inferior quality. “It’s true we aren’t the manufacturer of the machines, but we have a reputation in dealing with fitness equipment in the country,” he said. “We don’t compromise with the quality of goods and all the machines have been imported from foreign countries. We have not received any complaint with the machines as we have set up gyms in Meerut and Bareilly too,” he said.