Corporation Plans Multi-Purpose Sports Complex To Boost Local Talent A Prathap
The city corporation will soon transform its play ground on Canal Bank Road in Gandhi Nagar, Adyar, into a hockey field. Work on the new facility, the corporation's first is expected to begin in Septem ber.
The ground is now used by public to play cricket, volley ball and football. “We mea sured the ground and found that we can make a rectangular hockey turf of 100 yards x 60 yards with 10 yards left as safe ty,“ a corporation official said “There will also be a gallery with three rows. We will be in stall movable goal posts so tha public can also use it to play five-a-side football. The aim is to create a multi-purpose sports complex with hockey as apriority as there are many talented players in the locality.“ The corporation is in talks with an architectural firm to design the field. The idea for such a facility came about after several state and district-level hockey players who practice at the ground, on the banks of the Adyar, proposed the idea to the corporation. It received the nod during a corporation council meeting last year and the civic body's stadium department completed a technical feasibility study.
Several former players and coaches are thrilled at the development. “We have talented players here and it will help them improve if the corporation provides us with an astro turf or maintains the existing gravel ground,“ said S Thiru malvalavan, who participated in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and coaches students here.
Every evening, about 30 school and college students throng the ground for practice.Astroturf fields and gravel grounds suit the Indian style of hockey . “We can play on the existing gravel ground, but it needs to be maintained well.Even if it rains a little, there is a lot of slush,“ said Thirumalavalavan.
The corporation maintains 210 playfields, 96 gyms, four badminton indoor stadiums and one basketball indoor stadium. Of these, more than 14 can be used for games such as football, tennis, volleyball, ball badminton, and basketball.
