Plans afoot to expand Dronacharya Stadium in K'shetra

To provide better facilities to sportspersons and install AstroTurf, plans are afoot to expand the Dronacharya Stadium in Kurukshetra.

Sources said there was a four-acre land adjoining the stadium which belongs to the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) and the Sports Department has been trying to get the land transferred in its name so that the further process could be initiated.

The Sports Department has planned to install a hockey AstroTurf, which has been a long-pending demand, and construct a multipurpose hall.

In 2021, the state government had announced that stadiums would be developed at places of choice of Olympic medallists, following which, raising the long-pending demand, Olympian Surender Kumar, who was a member of the bronze medal-winning squad in the Tokyo Olympics-2021, had raised the demand for AstroTurf near the Dronacharya Stadium in Kurukshetra.

A hockey coach in Kurukshetra said that the existing ground where the players practised was small and without AstroTurf. He said, "The proposed land was situated at an ideal location. Several players from Kurukshetra have brought laurels to the state and the country. Currently, nearly 50 students practise on a smaller ground. It gets very tough for players to switch from grass field to AstroTurf at a later stage. If the players get all facilities, they will bring more medals in future."

Kurukshetra District Sports Officer (DSO) Manoj Kumar said, “There is a plan to expand the stadium for which a land adjoining the stadium is required. The department wants to create more space for sports activities, and there is a plan to develop a multipurpose hall and install AstroTurf. The matter is with the government and after the land is transferred, further process will be initiated.”

Meanwhile, former Thanesar MLA Subhash Sudha has also taken up the matter with Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini.

Subhash Sudha, who has been taking keen interest in the project, said, “I have spoken to the Chief Minister regarding the expansion of the stadium, for which the adjoining land is required. The CM has obtained all information about the project from the departments concerned and directed the officials to start further process. We are confident that the expansion project will begin soon and the long-pending demand of sportspersons would be fulfilled.”