GNDU, Amritsar, rejects Gurjeet Singh Aujla’s Rs 25 lakh MPLAD fund assistance for astroturf repair

Neeraj Bagga

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, August 13

Days after Member of Parliament Gurjeet Singh Aujla made an offer of Rs 25 lakh to repair the astroturf hockey ground inside the Guru Nanak Dev University out of the first grant he receives from the MPLAD (MP Local Area Development) funds, the sports department of the GNDU turned it down due to technical reasons.

Kunwar Mandeep Singh, Sports Director, GNDU, said the university had carried out repair of the astroturf for several years after it outlived its expectancy. He said the existing turf was now beyond repair and needs total replacement. The university authorities are looking for the Central and state governments to do the needful. Technical experts and veteran hockey players say the idea of repair was not relevant.

The university Sports Director said four layers of acrylic plates are knotted together and underneath them lies a premix. Installed some 16 years ago in the university, the astroturf was repaired for some years when it was permissible. Now, it is beyond repair.

Manufactured as per international norms and approved by the Federation of International Hockey, astroturfs are imported from Australia and countries in Europe. The last astroturf in the university was installed by the Sports Authority of India through the CPWD. He added that the university can install an astroturf from its own resources provided it is extended at half of its value.

At a time when Amritsar has been sending almost half of the players for the Indian hockey team in Olympics, both the Centre and the state government have failed to provide a decent astroturf to train its youth. The only astroturf for the entire district is at the Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU), which has long worn out. Installed in 2008-09, the astroturf was to be replaced with a new one in 20017-18.

Veterans feel that international-level players cannot be produced without the availability of astroturf. Stressing the importance of playing on an artificial turf, Olympian Brigadier (retd) Harcharan Singh said in modern day hockey, practicing on artificial turf is not only important but a critical factor for success. However, he said it was up to the government to decide on laying astroturf which costs around Rs 7 crore. “There should at least be two astroturf surfaces in Amritsar district alone for the players,” he said.

Ground reality

• In astroturf, four layers of acrylic plates are knotted together and underneath them lies a premix.
• The last astroturf at GNDU was installed by Sports Authority of India.
• According to Olympian Brig (retd) Harcharan Singh, laying astroturf can cost around Rs 7 crore.