BANGALORE: Doddigunta's active football community is a frustrated lot these days. Their favourite playground near Doddigunta, was leased out to Clarence High School by the BBMP.
The locals and the Clarence High School management are now at loggerheads over the utilisation of the ground.
Locals complain that the school management is neither utilising the playground nor is it allowing them to practise football in the morning.
Interestingly, the playground is almost two km from the school premises.
According to N S Ravi, president, Bharathinagar Residents’ Welfare Association, there is no dearth of football players in Doddigunta but a playground. “Doddigunta is known for its football players. Many of them have participated at state and national-level football tournaments. It is very unfortunate that these players have no place to practise the game daily,” Ravi says.
C Murthy, Secretary, Social Student Football Club, Doddigunta, says that there were no problems when these playgrounds were open for public. “Due to lack of playgrounds in and around Doddigunta, we are compelled to depend on playgrounds in other distant localities,” says Murthy.
The locals complain that the playground remains closed most of the time. They feel that the school management has no interest in either utilising it to the optimum level or allowing others to use it. “The weed and grass in the playground are enough proof of the apathy of the school management,” says A Chandrasekhar, vice-president, Social Student Football Club, Doddigunta.
However, Benny Joseph, Principal, Clarence High School, has denied the allegation of under-utilisation of the playground. “Their complaints are baseless. We conduct cricket training regularly at the playground. We have also been conducting inter-house games and athletics training apart from sports activities,” Benny Joseph clarifies. However, he does not deny that the playground is now off limits for locals. “It is not possible for us to open the playground for everyone.
Since our school follows co-education, I have to ensure safety of girl students,” Benny Joseph says.
As for the overgrown grass, Joseph attributes it to the weather. “The wet condition does not permit us to cut the grass. We will remove it soon,” he says.
The residents say that they have submitted a memorandum to MLA Raghu. “They have given me a letter requesting me to do the needful. I will try my best to do whatever is possible for the benefit of local people,” Raghu says.
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