Aug 19 — The renovation work at Guru Nanak Dev Stadium here is in full swing these days as part of the ongoing preparations for the National Games. The district Sports Department and the Municipal Corporation are working together to make the stadium uniform to international standards.The National Games will be held here in March, 2001. The stadium will be the main venue for the games. The opening and closing ceremonies of the games are scheduled to be held at this stadium. The events which will be held here are the athletics and basketball championships for both men and women.
The work of laying the new track is in progress. The old track was laid in 1989 for the National Games but the games were cancelled due to militancy in Punjab. The new track will have a synthetic surface. The estimated cost of the track is Rs 1.8 crore. A new 200-metre warm-up track will also be laid for the athletes. The work on both tracks is being supervised by the district Sports Department.
New floodlights will also be installed in the stadium to hold matches in the evening. The estimated cost of these floodlights is Rs 2 crore. The Municipal Corporation is supervising the installation work of these floodlights.
The stadium can accommodate 30,000 spectators. One new seating block is being added to accommodate another 5,000 spectators. Public utilities like toilets, parking sites and eateries are also being renovated for the convenience of the spectators. The renovation work is likely to be completed by October-end.
