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Sports dept to oversee tennis facilities at Sector-10 stadium: Chandigarh administration to HC
The PIL was disposed of after submissions from UT’s lawyer that petitioner’s apprehensions regarding a reduction in the quality of coaching were “misconceived”
The Punjab and Haryana high court on Friday disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL) raising concerns over UT administration’s decision to take control of the Sector-10 tennis stadium from the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA).
The PIL was disposed of after submissions from UT’s lawyer that petitioner’s apprehensions regarding a reduction in the quality of coaching were “misconceived”.
The tennis facilities will continue to operate under the management and control of the UT sports department. The existing staff and infrastructure would be maintained, UT’s senior standing counsel Amit Jhanji said, adding that four additional coaches were to be provided and two had already joined. Currently 400 trainees are enrolled at the facility.
He also indicated that due to more flow of funds from the UT administration, the fee being charged could be lowered.
The PIL had raised concerns about quality of training upon takeover and state of facilities — current and required for future in the wake of UT’s decision.
UT’s counsel also said the lease of CLTA had expired on September 10 and the possession was taken over without any protest from the association.
The court disposed of the plea observing that there was no reason to doubt the UT’s assurances regarding continuity of services. “If the facilities are not provided as assured, you can always come to us. Performance over the next one to two weeks will indicate if quality and quantity are maintained,” the court said while disposing of the plea.
Bringing an end to a nearly three-decade run of CLTA, the UT sports department officially took possession of the Sector 10 stadium on Thursday, citing lease violations. CLTA began operation on January 16, 1997, under a 20-year lease that charged a token rent of just ₹100 annually. Over the years, the lease terms were revised— ₹1.22 lakh annually from 2017 to 2022, and nearly ₹1.56 lakh per year under a three-year agreement signed in 2022. During its tenure, CLTA emerged as a central hub for tennis training in the region, coaching nearly 300 budding players at the facility.
