NMMC to set up 50 m archery range at Sanpada

Navi Mumbai’s archery enthusiasts will soon have a 50-m shooting lane for practice and training sessions within the city which could be used both by amateurs and professionals. It is being built at the cost of ₹92 lakh and will be ready before the end of 2023

NAVI MUMBAI

NMMC to set up 50 m archery range at Sanpada

Navi Mumbai’s archery enthusiasts will soon have a 50-m shooting lane for practice and training sessions within the city which could be used both by amateurs and professionals.

After developing a multi sports centre under the Sanpada flyover which went viral on social media, the civic administration is in the midst of developing a state-of-the-art archery facility in Sanpada’s Sector 10.

This Olympic sport is also played with great enthusiasm at district level wherein the Navi Mumbai Municipal corporation plays the host.

The in-principle approval for an expenditure of ₹92 lakh has already been taken by the engineering department and the tender process has been initiated for the project. “There is a lot of interest for this sport and even at the district school level events, we get over 50-odd participants. In fact, India has been bagging the top medals at Olympics and the Commonwealth games, and therefore, such quality infrastructure could pave way for more talented archers,” said NMMC’s Sports Officer R Gurav.

A 1,500 sq ft area at D.V Patil Master Ground in Sector 10 of Sanpada has been identified for developing the infrastructure. Both indoor and outdoor archery ranges are proposed to be built on the plot. “As far as civil work is concerned, we will be constructing a 50-m lane for outdoor shooting range and likewise there are also plans to develop a 30-m indoor shooting lane to be used during monsoons. Preliminary map work is already finalized and once the tender bids get finalised, in a matter of eight months, the facility should be ready,” said executive engineer Sanjay E Patil.

The facility will be equipped with 50 bows and arrows to be used for practice purposes. “Presently, the archery players have to either enrol in private classes or travel on the outskirts of the city to practice the sport. With the development of the facility, we are positive of getting more individuals interested in the sport,” said the Municipal Commissioner Rajendra Narvekar.