New Delhi, October 22
The inaugural Afro-Asian Games may have been put on hold, but the hockey lovers in Delhi have nothing to complain about. The break-neck speed in which preparations for the Afro-Asian Games were made, did a world of good to hockey, as the Capital’s crying need for replacing the worn out synthetic turf’s, finally met with success.
The turf at the Shivaji Stadium, considered as the ‘home’of Delhi hockey, has been in disuse for the past several years. Hockey administrators and players plea for the replacement of the worn out turf had met with a stony silence from the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), on the specious ground that it did not have enough funds to go for a new turf.
But the move to hold the Afro-Asian Games changed all that in jiffy, and the NDMC swung into action to replace the old turf, on a war-footing. And the rest is history.
Shivaji Stadium now sports of a brand new Astro-Grass 320 surface, laid at a cost of Rs 1.25 crore. The old turf was laid in 1988 for the Junior World Cup Hockey Championship, which served its purpose truly well, till it got completely worn out in 1997.
The Nehru Hockey Society, which keeps the ground busy by holding five major tournaments every year, was forced to shift its base to the National Stadium. Now that the Shivaji Stadium is back to its old splendour, the Nehru Hockey Society is pleased to return to its ‘home, sweet Home.’ The new turf will play host to a women’s tournament from November 3, before the Nehru Hockey tournaments get going from November 14. It’s a pleasure to watch hockey at the compact, cosy Shivaji Stadiu, and the players and administrators are thrilled at the prospect of hockey activity resuming at the Shivaji Stadium, after a gap of four years.
If Shivaji Stadium is where the action will be, the hallowed National Stadium, which may soon be christened as the Dhyan Chand Hockey stadium, to pay a lasting tribute to the hockey legend, will have no less importance as a hockey venue.
Thanks to the aborted Afro-Asian Games, National Stadium has acquired two brand new hockey turfs one at the
main stadium, and another full-fledged turf outside the main stadium, near the tennis courts.
Both the turfs are fully equipped to host international competitions, but the main stadium will be ‘The Venue.’ Dutch astro turf specialists Desso have laid the turfs. The new turfs and a brand new sprinkler system, have given the National Stadium a brand new look.
Three specialists from Holland Jan William Queckel, Mario Vulings and Tony Van Nuland - have been laying the Sportilux turfs for the past five weeks, and the postponement of the Afro-Asian Games came as a blessing in disguise to them. They got enough time to lay the turfs with meticulous care, and in a highly professional manner.
The new turfs have a reported life span of 10 years, though the previous two turfs at the National Stadium did not last beyond seven years.
The first Astro-Turf was laid at the National Stadium for the Asian Games in 1982, which served its purpose till 1990, and the second turf followed, but was no better, though it was under-utilised. The latest one seems to be the best.
Three brand new synthetic hockey turfs in Delhi? It’s unbelievable. But true. The hockey players of Delhi never had
it so good.
