CHENNAI: The coronavirus-influenced lockdown has all sports facilities and stadiums on standby. Many clubs and academies are looking at a tough summer, being deprived of their peak season. But it looks like there’s more trouble awaiting them on the other side of the quarantine. They’d be returning to grounds and equipment that have not been cared for in a couple of months. Due to the lockdown, staff who manage the cricket grounds, maintain volleyball and basketball courts and markers of the tennis courts, have either returned to their hometown or staying indoors.
Daily upkeep has almost stopped completely. The city’s robust tennis culture is supported by the many courts managed by the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA), and various academies and clubs offering food facilities. While summer has these places running to full capacity, the lockdown has scripted a different turn of events. “We have some facilities with hard courts, which should hold good during the lockdown. But the clay courts, like the ones at Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium and academies like the Krishnan Tennis Center, will wither due to lack of maintenance.
Because of the absence of the markers, the courts will develop cracks. Over time, they will also sport grass. We cannot ask the markers to come to work. But as a humanitarian gesture, all markers of the TNTA will be paid during the lockdown,” says Hiten Joshi, CEO of TNTA. Cricket grounds and practice pitches — owned by schools, colleges and academies — are also facing a similar plight. “All colleges and schools are shut. Just the watchman is there.
Our ground staff cannot travel to maintain the grounds or pitches. The wickets are developing cracks. We are waiting for the lockdown to end so that our groundsmen can take care of these issues,” says the incharge of a first division club of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association. The pitches at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, on the other hand, have escaped such a fate, thanks to the one or two groundsmen, who live there and take care of the watering requirements.
While being in fewer in number (relatively), volleyball courts too have the same problem. AK Chitrapandian, secretary of the Chennai District Volleyball Association, says that only the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium has two markers living nearby and taking care of the place. “Most of the courts are in bad shape. We are waiting for the lockdown to end to resume our maintenance work for the season ahead,’’ he adds.