Tenders for sports park to be floated soon: Ashu

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 5

A review meeting was held today to conduct a discussion on the proposed 32-acre Jainpur Sports Park under the Smart City Mission and upgrade of all existing sports facilities in the city.

Sportspersons shared their suggestions during the meeting that was attended by Cabinet Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Mayor Balkar Singh Sandhu, DC Varinder Kumar Sharma and MC chief Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal, besides others.

To be largest global-level park in state: Minister

Ashu claimed that the Jainpur Sports Park would be the largest international standard park of the state, for which tenders would be floated by January 2021.

He said the park would have playgrounds for cricket, football, hockey Astroturf, olympic-sized swimming pool, olympic-sized football ground, along with a synthetic athletics track, four acrylic basketball courts, four lawn tennis Astroturf courts, three olympic-sized volleyball courts (one mud base and two sand base), four lane outdoor archery range, 50 m indoor shooting range, six badminton courts, two squash courts, two boxing rings, four table tennis tables, two wrestling rings, gymnastics area, a billiards room, a weightlifting complex, along with a 3.5-km long and 15-ft wide cycling as well as a pedestrian track. Besides, the sports park would also have a club area for sportspersons with a refreshment lounge, children zone, yoga pavilion.

Ashu said it would also have the first parkour park of the state.

Hockey Olympian Hardeep Singh Grewal, Dronacharya awardee Baldev Singh, Teja Singh Dhaliwal from the Ludhiana Basketball Academy, Jagbir Singh Grewal, LDCA president Satish Mongal, Balkar Singh Brar, Col Jagdish Singh Brar and Gurinder Singh Garcha from the Shooting Association, Parvesh Chander Sharma from the Weightlifting Association, Ajay Sharma from the Swimming Association, Dharam Singh Sandhu from the Yoga Association, Bobby from the Football Association and Rajinder Singh from the Cycling Association were among others who attended the meeting.

Ashu said: “Besides, a new table tennis court is also coming up near Rakh Bagh, whose architectural layout has been prepared. Soon, the two open basketball courts at the Ludhiana Basketball Academy would be made indoor.”

During the meeting, questions were also raised over MC’s indoor stadium on Pakhowal Road that has become a white elephant despite spending crores of rupees on its construction. A senior member of a sports association said the authorities should take steps to ensure proper utilisation of the indoor stadium. A large amount was spent on its construction but sports activities were organised only on a few occasions since it was inaugurated in 2016. Instead of using it for sports activities, the MC has been giving it on rent to private agencies for organising seminars, musical shows or other events.

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