VIJAYAWADA: The long pending demand of the sports and walkers association for restoration of walking track and improvement of other basic amenities at Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation (IGMC) Stadium will be fulfilled soon as the State Government has sanctioned Rs 2 crore for the renovation projects.
Over the years, the IGMC Stadium- the only multipurpose sports complex in Amaravati capital region is failing to draw attention of budding sports persons and students from various schools, including those managed by the Corporation, for practise sessions owing to lack of maintenance and flooding in monsoon.
Even though, the municipal corporation designed proposals for renovating the stadium and make it accessible to the public, the projects failed to move forward due to various reasons.
‘’It is high time for the newly formed State government to allocate the necessary funds for improving the required infrastructure at the existing stadiums across the State to develop it into a sports hub. IGMC Stadium has been misused by the earlier governments by organising political meetings and allowing private persons to organise melas there. With this, the existing infrastructure got damaged,’’ said K Damodara Rao, a retired employee who went to the stadium for a morning walk.
A basketball trainer told TNIE they may have to forget producing competitive athletes from the existing track as the facilities are nowhere close to international standards.
“During monsoon, the stadium is filled with small pools across the walking track, volleyball, basketball, football and throwball courts. The officials should focus on developing an international standard basketball track to encourage and attract more students towards the game,” he added.
“A couple of months ago, the civic body sent proposals to the government to sanction funds for taking up restoration works at the IGMC Stadium as the state of infrastructure, including the Kabbadi, tennis, volleyball and basketball courts has deteriorated. The State government thus decided to allocate Rs 2 crore for restoration works,’’ said VMC superintendent engineer (projects) JV Ramakrishna.