Sports infra proposals await approval in Haryana's Jhajjar

Monsoon brings waterlogging woes, land-filling yet to receive state nod Haryana's Jhajjar is the home district of many international-level players, yet it is struggling to provide adequate facilities for budding sportspersons to hone their talent. Several sports proposals are currently in the pipeline but are still awaiting approval from the state authorities.With the monsoon season approaching, the budget estimates submitted by the district sports authorities for raising the ground level and carrying out maintenance work at Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati Stadium in Jhajjar city have remained pending for approval with the state authorities for the past several months.The stadium’s ground level is lower than the adjoining road, which leads to waterlogging during the rainy season. This condition significantly disrupts the practice sessions of the budding players, who are unable to train properly when the field remains submerged.According to sources, an estimate of over Rs 1.14 crore was forwarded to the state authorities nearly three months ago for approval. “Of this amount, over Rs 39 lakh has been earmarked for land filling to raise the ground level, while approximately Rs 75 lakh has been proposed for maintenance works, including fencing, whitewashing and other essential improvements. The proposal was prepared after repeated complaints regarding waterlogging were raised by the young players, an issue that also drew media attention,” sources added.Former Education Minister and local Congress MLA Geeta Bhukkal has also prominently raised the issue of waterlogging in the stadium at various levels and urged the state government to address this long-standing problem.The budding players engaged in sports such as boxing, gymnastics, hockey, basketball and badminton regularly practice at the stadium. However, hockey players face the most severe challenges, as the ground often remains waterlogged during the rainy season due to its low elevation. To provide a permanent solution, the proposal includes land filling, fencing, and other maintenance measures, ensuring uninterrupted practice facilities throughout the year.Confirming that the budget estimates worth Rs 1.14 crore are still pending with the state authorities, Jhajjar District Sports Officer (DSO) Satyendra said the proposal was currently under process and was expected to receive approval soon. He expressed hope that once the work was completed, the long-standing issue of waterlogging at the stadium would be resolved permanently.Sharing updates on other development works, the DSO said a basketball court and a lawn tennis court were being developed at the stadium under the D-plan. While the basketball court had already been completed, the lawn tennis court was in its final stages of construction.He further added that several other projects, including the construction of two additional volleyball courts and a squash court, were in the pipeline. These projects were proposed to be executed through corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds, with Deputy Commissioner S Ravindra Patil actively working towards enhancing sports infrastructure and providing better facilities to the athletes in Jhajjar district.Responding to a query regarding the construction of a racing track at Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati Stadium, Satyendra stated that synthetic track could not be laid at the stadium due to space constraints. Following which, budding athletes practiced running at the sports stadium in Talav village, which was near the city. A proposal had been made to lay a synthetic track at Ambedkar Stadium in Bahadurgarh town.“The boxing centre in the stadium is attracting players from various villages across the district. Many of them are performing well at different levels, while several others have the potential to bring laurels to the district and the state. Keeping this in view, we have submitted a proposal to establish a residential boxing academy for 50 players to hone the talent of budding sportspersons,” said the DSO, adding that a district level stadium was being established at Silana village where all facilities would be made available.Jhajjar district has earned the reputation of being the hub of wrestling in Haryana. Known for having the highest number of akharas (wrestling rings) in the state, the district has brought immense pride to the nation by producing Olympic medallists —Bajrang Punia and Aman Sehrawat — in wrestling. Young wrestler Deepak Punia narrowly missed out on the bronze medal during his Olympics debut at Tokyo 2020. Another international wrestler Satyawart Kadian too belongs to this district.Similarly, shooters from Jhajjar district have brought laurels at the international level, with double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker, World Cup gold medallist Suruchi Phogat, and Asian Games gold medallist Palak Gulia, all hailing from the district.Following this, then Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar had, in October 2023, announced the establishment of a shooting range in Jhajjar district, a move that generated hope among local sports enthusiasts. However, the announcement remains unfulfilled.Sources said a proposal for setting up a shooting range has already been sent to the state authorities, with three locations suggested for the project in the district. However, the proposal was still awaiting approval.

Sports infra proposals await approval in Haryana's Jhajjar

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

Sports infra proposals await approval in Haryana's Jhajjar

Ravinder Saini

Tribune News Service

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