Ludhiana: ₹40-lakh renovation plan gathers dust as weightlifting centre awaits facelift

The focus is on renovation of the shooting arena so it will be difficult to take up renovation of the weightlifting centre immediately, says deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain

The weightlifting centre near Rakh Bagh, built in 1987, is waiting for a much-needed renovation, with the District Weightlifting Association’s repeated requests to the district administration yet to yield results. The deteriorating building has poor flooring and damaged walls.

The weightlifting club in Ludhiana.

Once a vibrant training hub, the centre has produced several promising weightlifters who represented Punjab and the country at the state, national and international levels. However, athletes now face difficulties while training.

The centre is managed by the District Weightlifting Association, which charges trainees ₹500 for six months. Association officials said the nominal fee barely covers routine expenses, leaving little scope for undertaking major repairs.

Parvesh Chander Sharma, general secretary of the association and a Commonwealth Games medallist, said the centre remained important for nurturing young talent. “This centre has produced players who have competed at the state, national and international levels. We try to maintain the equipment with the limited funds available, but renovating the building is beyond our capacity,” Sharma said.

Officials had proposed merging eight small and congested rooms into four larger halls to create a more practical and safer training area. “If this is not possible, we request the administration to at least undertake false-ceiling, flooring and painting work. These repairs are urgently needed,” Sharma said.

The district sports department had prepared a renovation estimate of more than ₹40 lakh last year, but the proposal is awaiting final approval.

Deputy commissioner Himanshu Jain said the administration was currently focusing on the renovation of the shooting arena and that it would be difficult to take up the weightlifting centre immediately.