Sonepat MC starts repair of astroturf hockey ground

Mukesh Tandon

Sonepat, February 11

The Municipal Corporation (MC) has started the repair work of the astroturf hockey ground in Sector 4 here. The Sports Department has allotted a fund of Rs 17 lakh to the MC for the repair of the ground.

The hockey ground at Sector 4 here, which produced Olympics, Asian Games medallists and groomed several national and international players, had been in a poor state for a long period of time.

Rs 17 Lakh tender allotted: DSO

• “A tender has been allotted by the Sonepat Municipal Corporation to carry out repair of the hockey ground at a cost of Rs 17 lakh,” said Devender Dahiya, District Sports Officer (DSO)
• The civic body has also started the construction of a changing room for girls. Two new goal posts would be installed in the ground and broken grills would be repaired, DSO Dahiya added

It was marred by broken grills and goal posts, uprooted sheds, defunct water motor, defunct sprinklers and wild growth. The artificial turf had been uprooted at several places. As many as 300 players practise here regularly. There is also no provision for lighting at the ground.

The ground was constructed in 2015 by the Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) and HUDA by spending crores of rupees. However, it soon became a victim of neglect and was not maintained properly. The ground was handed over to the Sports Department 15 months ago.

Another major issue was that there was no changing room for girl players at the ground, while over 150 girls regularly practise there.

“A tender has been allotted by the MC to carry out the repair of the hockey ground at a cost of Rs 17 lakh,” said Devender Dahiya, District Sports Officer (DSO).

The MC has started constructing the changing room for girls. Two new goalposts would be installed in the ground and broken grills would be repaired, he said. The D-of the astroturf would be repaired and six water guns installed, Dahiya added.

MC Commissioner Vishram Kumar Meena said the repair work had been started to provide better facilities to hockey players. He added that four new stadiums would be constructed in the MC area under the Divya Nagar Yojna.