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Ludhiana: Players allege ‘poor’ facilities, hygiene issues as basketball championship begins
A player alleges food is being cooked in the open, chapatis are kept under a leaking roof and meals are prepared amid heaps of construction material
The 75th Junior National Basketball Championship, which was inaugurated by the cabinet minister Aman Arora at the newly built Indoor Basketball Courts of Guru Nanak Stadium, on Tuesday with much anticipation, has quickly come under fire after players raised serious concerns about poor facilities and unhygienic conditions.
Players alleged that the food arrangements were not satisfactory. Members of the Uttarakhand team drew comparisons with earlier national championships, pointing out that the tournaments in Kolkata and Madhya Pradesh had offered far better facilities.
Around 900 players from 58 teams—31 men’s and 27 women’s—will compete in 160 matches, including league and knockout rounds. The event is being held in association with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI) and corporate partners.
“We have been to nationals before, and the ones organised earlier were much better than in Punjab, whether it was food or lodging. Here, food is being cooked in the open, chapatis are kept under a leaking roof, and meals are prepared amid heaps of construction material. It is extremely unhygienic,” a player said.
On Monday, when teams arrived in the city, many were left waiting for hours as four buses assigned to ferry them to their hotels were not functional. Players alleged that more than four teams were forced to travel through one bus, which made the situation more chaotic.
Players also alleged non availability of drinking water at their hotel. A Tamil Nadu player said, “We are not being given drinking water and are forced to buy it daily. Even for hot water, we are asked to pay extra.”
Players also alleged littering and waterlogging in front of the venue. They said cleaning was carried out hurriedly on the day of the matches instead of in advance.
When contacted, district sports officer Kuldeep Chugh clarified that the event was being organised by the Punjab Basketball Association, with the district department playing only a supervisory role.
“I will personally request the association members to maintain hygiene in food and cleanliness in the area so that players do not face inconvenience,” he said. Addressing the issue of construction material lying near the food preparation area, he added, “We had begun work on a new weightlifting hall, but construction was halted due to the tournament. The material was shifted temporarily to whatever space was available.”
