Gurugram’s Nehru Stadium sports hostel project stalled over executing agency nod

The 100-bed sports hostel project in Gurugram is on hold until the state finalizes an executing agency, leaving athletes without proper accommodations.

The proposal to construct a new 100-bed sports hostel at Gurugram’s Nehru Stadium has been put on hold after the district sports department earlier this week directed the district office to suspend further processing until the state government finalises the executing agency, officials said. The latest delay has stalled a project announced by Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini more than seven months ago to replace the city’s sports hostel, which has remained non-functional since 2015.

The 100-bed facility remains stalled as the state has yet to finalise the executing agency. The existing hostel has been defunct since 2015. (Parveen Kumar/HT)

CM Saini had announced the project during his visit to Gurugram in December 2025. While the district sports office forwarded the detailed proposal to the state sports department earlier this month, officials said work cannot proceed until the state government finalises the executing agency. Officials said the project was put on hold before the cost and timeline could be finalised.

District sports officer (DSO) Aarti Kohli said the proposal was initially assigned to the Public Works Department (PWD) before being transferred to the Haryana State Roads and Bridges Development Corporation (HSRDC) in June 2026.

“The proposal has already been sent to the higher authorities. Initially, PWD was to construct the hostel, but later the work was shifted to HSRDC. Now we have been told to keep the proposal on hold. Once the executing agency is finalised, the project will move forward,” Kohli told HT.

She added that PWD had also been awarded the tender to demolish the old structure and submitted a budget estimate of ₹7 lakh for demolition. However, the demolition has also been put on hold.

A senior PWD official told HT, “We had submitted a budget of ₹7 lakh for demolition of the existing structure, but it was not approved by the state sports department. There were some differences over the cost estimate, though no specific reason was given.”

The HSRDC did not submit a cost estimate for the hostel, as the project was halted before the district sports department could seek one.

The proposed hostel, to be built within the Nehru Stadium complex, will accommodate 100 athletes and replace the existing sports hostel, which has remained non-functional since 2015 after being declared unsafe due to structural deterioration.

For years, athletes and coaches have demanded a new residential facility, saying the lack of a hostel has forced many sportspersons from outside Gurugram to commute daily or arrange private accommodation.

According to district sports officials, only 25 boys, all volleyball players, are currently being accommodated temporarily on the top floor of the stadium’s administration office.