City stadiums to remain closed on Sundays

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 22

The UT Sports Department has finally accepted the coaches’ long-pending demand of shutting all the local stadiums on Sundays and second Saturdays. 

In an order issued here on Friday, Sports Secretary Jitender Yadav approved the closure of all the stadiums under the UT Sports Department on Sundays and second Saturdays. Instead, the stadiums will remain open on Mondays and second Tuesday of every month. There are 14 stadiums under the department. 

On November 26, 2017, the then Sports Director Capt Karnail Singh had ordered opening of all the local stadiums on Sundays and second Saturdays. It was also decided that the stadiums will remain shut on Mondays and second Tuesday. 

However, the decision was not appreciated by a majority of the coaches and soon after Tejdeep Singh Saini took charge of the Sports Department in August 2018, they had submitted a request for change in practice. 

“It has been decided to adopt the old practice. The orders have been issued by the Secretary Sports on Friday and all the complexes will be informed about the same in a day or so,” said an official of the UT Sports Department.

“The practice of opening stadiums on Sundays and Saturdays was not getting a warm response from players. Keeping in mind all the aspects, and after listening to the problems faced by the coaches a decision has been made,” the official added.

The practice of opening stadiums on Sundays and Saturdays was not getting a warm response from players.— A UT Sports Department official