Chandigarh's Sec 23 pool winter timings out, officials appointed at Sec 39

The only Sector 23 all-weather swimming pool under the UT Sports Department will remain operational six hours in morning and five hours in the evening during the winter session. The pool will remain open from 6 am to 12 noon, and thereafter from 2 pm to 7 pm — as the department appointed four junior swimming coaches and an equal number of lifeguards with immediate effect to operate the facility.

On other hand, the UT Sports Department has appointed two junior swimming coaches and two lifeguards at the swimming pool in the Sector 39 sports complex, which is under process of getting converted into an all-weather facility. This will be the city’s second all-weather facility. It is expected that the work to convert this facility will be completed next month.

The work to install heat pumps has already started and will be completed this month, followed by the civil work inside the complex. The concrete base for installing the (four) heat pumps has been completed, and it is expected to be connected with the internal panel (heating plant) soon.

Meanwhile, the Sector 23 pool will be open for professional (national and state) swimmers from 6 am to 7 am in morning session, and from 3 pm to 4.30 pm in the evening session. The facility will remain open from 7 am to 2 pm for amateur/family members/recreational swimmers and others during morning hours, and from 2 pm to 7 pm during evening hours (as per the one-hour slot allotted by the officials concerned to the users in both morning and evening session).

As many as 12 swimming pools under the Sports Department cater to swimming lovers during summer. With the completion of the Sector 39 swimming pool, the city will have another all-weather facility, which is most likely to cater to amateur and recreational swimmers.

In the absence of a 50m pool in Chandigarh, the Sector 23 centre remains an important hub for professional swimmers in winter. The all-weather facility on Panjab University campus is also a 25m facility, allowed to be used by university swimmers.