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Pune futsal turfs are turning into multi-purpose grounds
Apart from 5-a-side football and box cricket, many are using it for outdoor yoga and functional training sessions
Many futsal turfs in the city are turning out to be a good source of income given they are utilised as multi-purpose grounds. Apart from 5-a-side football and box cricket, many are using it for outdoor yoga and functional training sessions.
For many IT professionals, it is turning out to be a major attraction and a weekend getaway. The number of such turfs in the city is in excess of 500.
“Not only techies, but people from other professions are showing interest in advance bookings for these grounds. Five years back, these turfs were a rare sight, but not anymore,” said Navnath Shete, owner of Metro City Sports and health club.
He further informed that these turfs are often go-to places for outdoor corporate events.
The hourly charges for the turfs vary according to the quality of the turf as well as the time of the day. The weekend bookings are at a premium, resulting in higher rates, while off-peak weekdays see the lowest rates.
Shete informed that the initial investment for the turfs is in the range of ₹30 lakh and the monthly maintenance goes up to ₹1,000.
“ Apart from hiring out these grounds for recreational purposes, we also render coaching services to make it financially viable,” Shete says.
“The length of the grounds may differ as it is not used exclusively for playing football or cricket,” said Rohan Marne, an engineering student who regularly plays both sports on the turf.
Disappearing playgrounds across the city mean many kids flock to the venues come weekend.
Sagar Sangle, the coach of Arena 55 turf said, “The demand for these grounds has increased significantly over the last three years.
Most of the visitors are people from the 14-45 age group, who want to have a good outing and fitness with their friends. Initially, these turfs were primarily used for football, but by the day people are using for all sorts of activities like yoga, functional training or even a laughter club.”
The turf tale
Turfs in the city: Around 500
Sports played: Football, cricket and physical exercises.
Approximate charges:
Weekdays 6 am to 6 pm: Avg ₹ 600/hour; 6 pm to 12 am ₹ 800/hour
Weekends 6 am to 6 pm: Avg ₹ 700/hour; 6 pm to 12 pm ₹ 1000/hour
