The Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium has been overhauled as per the norms of Hockey India, say officials. Another major development is the construction of a Kabaddi and Wrestling complex at Bhosari.
The Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has prepared a plan to repair the existing sports facilities as well as set up new ones to promote various sports. Though belated, sports enthusiasts have welcomed the move but want the PCMC to speed up the process.
For starters, PCMC has overhauled the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium at Nehrunagar. The stadium, which was set up two decades back, will hold its first national hockey tournament from December 11.
Officials, however, say that the stadium has been repaired as per the norms of Hockey India (the national hockey federation) and soon would be ready to host even international matches. “We have taken care of every aspect of the stadium. Be it the carpet, seating arrangements for spectators, pavilion or the parking lots; everything has been redone by spending crores of rupees. Our team has even visited the Bhubaneswar stadium in Odisha to witness the facilities available for players and spectators. The changes have been brought in after consultation with Hockey India. In fact, when the stadium was being overhauled, Hockey India officials themselves visited and approved the changes. We are now even confident of holding international matches,” said additional municipal commissioner Vikas Dhakane.
Municipal Commissioner Rajesh Patil last week said: “Besides uplifting the hockey stadium, we are planning to develop complexes for every other sport in a bid to popularise each of them. We will be appointing expert coaches, roping in sport organisations to assist us and taking help from industrial houses…Our objective is to make Pimpri-Chinchwad a new sports hub and produce players of national and international standards.”
“We are setting up new facilities on the ground. A pavilion is coming up. We will soon fulfill other requirements of the ground,” said Sushma Shinde, who is in charge of PCMC’s sports section.
News Source : Indian Express
