Karnal city all set for sports infrastructure upgrade
Parveen Arora
Karnal, February 3
With the inauguration of an Astroturf hockey stadium on the Kailash-Kunjpura road in the city, speeding up of various projects at Karna Stadium and ongoing work on an Olympic-level all-weather swimming pool in Sector-32, among other projects, Karnal city is all set for a significant upgrade in sports infrastructure in the coming days.
Under the Smart City project, the Astroturf hockey stadium has been constructed at a cost of Rs 18.27 crore on 6.45 acres of land. Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar virtually inaugurated it on January 24 from Hisar. The stadium is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, including a blue Astroturf for competitions and a green Astroturf for practice sessions, along with floodlight facilities for day and night matches, said Ramphal Singh, GM of Engineering and Technology, Karnal Smart City Ltd., an agency looking after the Karnal Smart City project.
Major works underway
- Work on an Olympic-size all-weather swimming pool is likely to be completed by April-end
- It is part of an indoor sports complex that is being constructed at a cost of
- Rs 42 crore
- Karnal Smart City Ltd has expedited the work of re-development of the Karna Stadium at an estimated cost of around Rs 36.54 crore
- Work on the boundary wall of a cricket ground in Sector 9 is also underway
Besides, work on the Olympic-size all-weather swimming pool has gained momentum, and it is expected to be completed by the end of April. It is part of an indoor sports complex being constructed at a cost of Rs 42 crore at Sector 32 under the Smart City project. The main swimming pool, with dimensions of 50 m x 25 m, will include a warm-up pool of 25m x 21m. The 10-lane pool will feature modern amenities such as heating, filtration, lighting, a timing system and a digital scoreboard. The indoor sports complex will also house four badminton courts with a spectator gallery, he added.
Apart from this, Karnal Smart City Ltd. (KSCL) has expedited the redevelopment of Karna Stadium at an estimated cost of around Rs 36.54 crore. In the first phase, four synthetic tennis courts are being constructed, accompanied by a spectator gallery with a capacity of around 250 persons, two separate hostel blocks having a capacity to accommodate 88 male players and 64 female players, and a dining hall. As per the authorities, around 70 per cent work has been completed.
A multi-purpose hall building is under construction, featuring an indoor kabaddi hall on the ground floor, a gym on the top floor, and a rehabilitation centre on the second floor. A new stage area with a spectator gallery having a capacity of around 500 people along with a VIP lounge is being constructed. The authorities claimed that the work was going in full swing. A climbing wall will also be constructed between the stage building and the multi-purpose hall.
The second phase, costing Rs 12.59 crore, will include a four-floor building with a fencing court, weight lifting hall, gymnastic hall and a viewer gallery. Both phases are expected to be completed by the end of May 2024.
Additionally, work on the boundary wall of the cricket ground in Sector 9 is underway, along with the construction of facilities such as toilets and changing rooms, at an estimated cost of Rs 2.04 crore, the GM added.
Anish Yadav, Deputy Commissioner-cum-CEO, KSCL, expressed confidence that these new facilities would uplift sports infrastructure in the district and nurture budding sportspersons.
“I review the progress weekly and push agencies to complete projects before the deadline for the benefit of players from various sports,” said the DC. Earlier, a hockey stadium was constructed in Gapuwala Bagh in Ward 14 on Hansi Road.
