Cricket lovers encounter dusty roads, parking woes on way to match venue

Deepankar Sharda

Mohali, March 23

There was no relief from ‘ordeal’ for spectators who reached Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium, Mullanpur, to watch the first mega event at the venue. The unplanned approach to the parking lots hassled them the most. Many spectators parked their vehicles on narrow village roads and walked to the venue to watch the IPL match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals this afternoon.

Sidelights

• PCA’s new Mullanpur stadium was inaugurated by BCCI secretary Jay Shah. He rang a bell to signal the start of the match.
• PCA president Amarjit Singh and secretary Dilsher Khanna were also present. Amarjit said it was a memorable moment. IPL chairman Arun Dhumal and BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla were also there.
• The full name of the stadium was nowhere mentioned at the venue.
• Specially-abled spectators and those with special needs had a smooth entry to the stadium.
• A group of youngsters presented a vibrant cultural programme to entertain the spectators.

There was no signage at road diversions, which resulted in vehicles blocking roads near the stadium. “The police diverted vehicles, but there was no signage. The match was slated in the afternoon. It will be very difficult to drive on these roads in the late evening matches,” said Amitosh, a spectator.

“Cops were very rude, and there was no proper guidance. I reached here two hours before the start of the match, yet I faced trouble,” said Anitham, a Mohali resident.

It took almost two hours for spectators to gain entry to the stadium, “Tall claims of providing a smooth entry to the stadium stand belied. There are only two roads approaching the stadium, but the traffic was diverted through various rough patches. The authorities must have made better arrangements,” said Anoop, who travelled from the national capital to watch the match.

Police personnel were also frustrated dealing with fans and traffic. “This is not an ideal situation to conduct a match. The two approaching roads are not fully functional. The area is not developed at all and can’t accommodate such a huge rush,” said a police official. Gate numbers 12, 11 and 9 witnessed a huge rush of fans. Ironically, the space to make queues was as narrow as the old IS Bindra PCA Stadium in Mohali.

Those who gained timely entry to the stadium termed it a better facility. “The new stadium is quite big and offers better facilities. It’s good to have a bigger venue to host major championships,” said Mohammed Seeza, a spectator.

“It’s a good venue and far from the city. Every new place has some pros and cons, but overall it was a good experience to watch the match here. Punjab Kings started off with a win, what else we (fans) could have asked for,” said Amritpal, a fan.