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Concert at JLN keeps stadium out of bounds for athletes
National level athletes write to SAI asking when they can gain access to train at the venue that was refurbished and recently hosted the World Para Athletics Championships
New Delhi: As the newly refurbished Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium gets ready to host high-profile musical concerts, the athletes and coaches of Delhi have written to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) asking when they can get access to at least the warm-up area and throwing zone, as “complete closure of the training facility is adversely affecting their progress.”
This weekend, the JLN Stadium will host famous composer and rapper Travis Scott (Oct 18–19) for his Circus Maximus Tour — Delhi. A grand stage is being set up inside the main arena which was recently renovated and saw a new Mondo track being set up as well. On November 9, Akon is also scheduled to perform at the JLN Stadium, for which tickets are on sale.
The 500 athletes, who train at the JLN Stadium, have been going to different venues to practice over the last six months as the stadium went through renovation for the World Para Athletics Championships. The Mondo tracks have been installed in the main arena and the warm-up area at an estimated cost of ₹23 crore.
Track and field athletes were hoping to resume training at the JLN Stadium after the World Para Athletics Championships concluded on October 5, but that has not happened.
Peeved athletes and coaches have jointly written to SAI on the issue.
“JLN Stadium is a key venue under schemes (Come and Play, Khelo India, Fit India) where many national-level and aspiring athletes, including several under the SAI banner, have been rigorously training. However, since the conclusion of the recent championship (world para athletics), the stadium remains closed to athletes for training purposes,” they wrote.
They said when they went to the joint administrator of the venue, they were informed that a new SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) is expected to be introduced in the coming one or two months.
“While we understand and appreciate the need for structured and safe operations, the complete closure of training facilities — especially the warm-up area and throwing zones — is adversely affecting the progress of athletes preparing for national and international events,” they said in the letter.
They have requested SAI to “allow access to the warm-up and throwing areas for registered and verified athletes, especially those affiliated with SAI and other recognised sports bodies.”
Athletes have been going to the Thyagaraj Stadium, CS Ground, and the East Vinod Nagar sports complex to train. U-23 Nationals gold medallist in 10k, Latika, says the facilities in other venues are not up to the mark.
“I have been mostly training on the road to prepare for the ongoing U-23 Nationals in Warangal. Though I have won gold (36:32.69), I have not been able to get the timing I was expecting. After the world para, athletes tried to train at the JLN Stadium but were stopped. We were not given any explanation, so we had to write to the authorities,” Latika said.
“We have the All India University meet next month, and need to train. I don’t understand why we can’t access the stadium. I heard there is some concert happening, but what about the athletes?”
Another junior athlete, Rahul Raj Mahato, 15, said he is worried about his training ahead of the Inter-School Zonal Meet this month. “In Thyagaraj Stadium, we can train for limited hours, and East Vinod Nagar doesn’t have proper facilities. Our equipment is also at the JLN Stadium, but we can’t train there,” says Rahul, who recently competed for Delhi at the National Junior Championships in Bhubaneswar.
SAI did not respond to HT’s questions on why the stadium is still out of bounds for athletes and when they will get access to the venue.
SAI rents out its venues during the off-season for non-sports events. It has introduced SOPs so that event organisers ensure “proper protection cover (mats/rugs etc.) of the area to be utilised on the Field of Play.”
Last year in October, Diljit Dosanjh’s concert came in for criticism as a huge pile of garbage was left behind by the organisers, and athletes complained about the safety of the track.
SAI has since introduced a penalty for organisers who fail to return its facilities in proper condition; they will have to pay a fine.
