Ambala stadium yet to host major tourney

Nitish Sharma

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Ambala, October 18

Even after a year of getting the FIFA certification for the Olympics standard turf laid at the War Heroes’ Memorial Stadium in Ambala Cantonment, the stadium is yet to host any major tournament due to the delay in the completion of the project.

92% job completed

The polyturf laid in the ground was certified by FIFA. The work in the stadium resumed over a month ago, about 92 per cent work is completed and the work will be completed soon. Shashank Garg, contractor, m/s garg and company

Work to be completed soon

The same contractor has been asked to complete the project and efforts are being made to get the work completed at the earliest. Sultan Kaushik, superintending engineer, pwd (b&r)

Will improve standard of the game

The facility of an international-level football turf will definitely improve the standard of the game here and players from Haryana will get to play at the national and international levels. The project should be completed at the earliest. Suresh Joon, former state-level player

An Olympics standard turf was laid in the stadium for football and was tested and certified by the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association). The certificate by FIFA was issued last year having a validity period from October 18, 2021, to October 17, 2024.

The stadium is being upgraded at a cost of Rs 115 crore to provide international-level sports facilities.

The upgrading that started in April 2017 was to be completed in April 2019, but the deadlines were missed several times due to various issues, including the change in design, an extension of central pavilion, Covid, and then irregularities and misappropriation of funds to the tune of crores of rupees observed in the construction work.

District president of Ambala Football Association BS Bindra said, “The project has been delayed due to various reasons, including a dispute between the PWD (B&R) and the contractor. A couple of state-level tournaments were organised a few months ago on this turf, but with the kind of facility and turf we have got, we want to host national-level games here. Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij had taken a keen interest in the upgrading of the stadium. A large number of budding players practice in the ground every day. Now, the work is in its final stages and we are hopeful that it will be completed soon.”

Suresh Joon, a former state-level player, said, “The facility of an international-level football turf will definitely improve the standard of the game here and players from Haryana will get to play at the national and international levels. The project should be completed at the earliest.”

Shashank Garg, contractor, M/s Garg and Company, said, “The polyturf laid in the ground was certified by FIFA. The work in the stadium resumed over a month ago, about 92 per cent of it is completed and the rest will be completed soon.”

The Superintending Engineer, PWD (B&R), Sultan Kaushik, said, “The same contractor has been asked to complete the project and efforts are being made to get the work completed at the earliest.”