KOCHI: The synthetic track at Maharaja’s College ground — the first of its kind to be built on a college campus in the state — is in a bad condition owing to lack of maintenance. The athletes and joggers who use the area are apprehensive of injuries and have raised complaints regarding the recent hike in fees for using the track, though there are no moves to repair it. The track was laid in 2006, and has been in a bad state since 2014.
“The college authorities should have ensured that water is sprayed at regular intervals to keep the track in good condition,” said T Jayachandran, a member of the College’s Old Students Association, who is part of its development committee. “The drainage under the synthetic track, which is designed to pump out excess water, should also be repaired to prevent waterlogging,” he said.
The coaches who conduct practice sessions for athletes on the ground also shared their concern. “The training of the athletes who belong to sports hostels, academies and those employed in the Railways is being disrupted due to the dilapidated condition of the synthetic track for the past five years. We cannot change the venue either, as this is the only ground in the district with a synthetic track as of now,” said a coach.
Despite its poor condition, the track was used as the venue for the District Athletics Championship which concluded recently. ‘We had requested Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to resolve the issue immediately as there is a high chance of injury when children complete here.
The college authorities can also play a part by instituting a separate fund for carrying out the maintenance works of the synthetic track and the ground with the revenue that they get from professional sports clubs and shops located inside the Maharaja’s ground complex,” said P V Sreenijan, president, Ernakulam Districts Sports Council. It was also suggested that a ministerial level meeting involving the State Sports Council and college Management is necessary to resolve the issue at the earliest.