Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana: Basketball court delayed yet again
The indoor basketball court at Guru Nanak Stadium remains stuck in delays, missing yet another deadline despite repeated assurances. Part of the Smart City Mission, the project was expected to be completed by May 31, but that deadline too has slipped by, adding to a growing list of missed targets.
Originally promised to be ready much earlier, the project has seen its completion date extended multiple times, from June and December 2024 to January and March 2025, and now past May 31, the basketball court is yet to be completed. Frustrated by the continued delays, the Ludhiana municipal corporation even slapped a ₹10 lakh fine on the contractor in March for the slow pace of construction. Earlier in January, Union minister of state for railways, Ravneet Singh Bittu, had also taken the civic body to task for failing to complete the construction on schedule.
The consequences of the delay are being felt most by the city's young basketball talent. With over 150 players depending on the court for training, the lack of space has forced them to practice during odd hours, as early as 4 am and sometimes as late as 11 in the night. 'The players struggled with only a single court available,' said Teja Singh Dhaliwal, general secretary of the Punjab Basketball Association. 'The new facility would not only relieve pressure on the existing court but also provide a much-needed upgrade for our athletes,' Dhaliwal added.
Once completed, the modern indoor stadium will feature two full-size courts, allowing simultaneous matches and better training opportunities. Currently, only one overcrowded court is available, making it difficult for the growing number of players to train properly.
District sports officer Kuldeep Chugh previously said that about 80 to 85 percent of the work was already completed. 'Having three indoor courts in Ludhiana will be a game-changer for our young athletes,' he added.
Superintendent engineer SL Gupta of the municipal corporation said that the court will be ready within 10 days. He blamed the delays on the maple flooring, which took longer than expected to install.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Gazette
3 hours ago
- India Gazette
Union Minister Kiren Rijiju inaugurates residential wing of Weightlifting Warriors Academy
Modi Nagar (Uttar Pradesh) [India], June 7 (ANI): Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Saturday inaugurated the residential wing of the Weightlifting Warriors Academy, the centre where Olympic Silver Medalist Mirabai Chanu trains, marking a significant milestone in India's Olympic preparations for 2036. The state-of-the-art facility, established by Chief National Coach Vijay Sharma in September 2024, will now provide accommodation for up to 60 athletes in 30 fully equipped rooms. Currently, 40 young athletes aged 8-14 years and 15 elite athletes are also training at the academy. Speaking at the inauguration, Rijiju congratulated the team and expressed his confidence in the academy. 'I would like to congratulate the team at Weightlifting Warriors that the residential centre has opened. I am not just wishing you all good luck, but I have faith that a great champion will emerge from here. I have seen a lot of academies in my life... but the way Vijay has run this academy with dedication, and the way they work hard to make it a success. I have never seen that anywhere else,' he said, as quoted from a press release by Weightlifting Warriors. Olympic Silver Medalist Mirabai Chanu, who trains at the academy, expressed her commitment to mentoring the next generation and said, 'The 2036 Olympics is not just a dream for us, it is a commitment for our country. My young athletes, remember that when you train, you take the dreams of 1.4 billion Indians with you.' Chief National Coach Vijay Sharma shared his vision: 'The dream I had of an academy has come true today. With Mirabai's training, these kids can learn something and perform well in the next Olympics.' The academy operates under the Khelo India Scheme with support from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Sports Authority of India, Olympic Gold Quest, and the Indian Weightlifting Federation (IWLF). (ANI)
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Indian Express
Bengaluru stampede: ‘Craving publicity when people died,' H D Kumaraswamy demands Karnataka govt to sack Deputy CM D K Shivakumar
Holding Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar responsible for the stampede at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru that killed 11 people, Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy Thursday demanded that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah sack Shivakumar from the Cabinet. Kumaraswamy alleged that the 'insensitive' attitude of Shivakumar was on display after Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) arrived at Bengaluru Airport following their win in the Indian Premier League, during the felicitation at Vidhana Soudha and at the stadium. 'He was craving publicity even when people were dying,' he told reporters in Delhi. He said that Shivakumar acted as a 'rowdy' during the incident. 'What was the necessity to hold the (felicitation) event at the grand stairs of Vidhana Soudha? The entire state government made it their family event. It was a show of dadagiri by the deputy CM. Even after knowing that people had died, he participated in the event held inside the stadium,' Kumaraswamy alleged. BJP state president B Y Vijayendra said that even as TV channels were reporting the deaths, the deputy chief minister was seen kissing the cup at Chinnaswamy Stadium. 'What was the necessity of organising celebrations in front of Vidhana Soudha when an event was already planned at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The government should come clean on whether the decision to celebrate at Vidhana Soudha was taken by the deputy CM or by the CM, and when that decision was made,' he said. Meanwhile, Shivakumar accused the Opposition parties of playing politics over dead bodies. Turning emotional, Shivakumar said that he had seen the young kids who died. 'No family can digest such an incident,' he said. On his participation in the program at the stadium after the tragedy, Shivakumar claimed that he did not have plans to attend it despite the invitation offered to him by the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA). 'I took the KSCA president and other members of the management in my car, and we closed the program in 10 minutes. I was not aware of the deaths until I reached the stadium… I went there and told them not to hold any function,' he said. Commenting on the allegations against the government, he said that the Opposition parties were only doing mischief. 'The BJP and the Janata Dal (Secular) always play politics over dead bodies. That is their political agenda. We are deeply hurt. It is as if our own family members have died,' he said.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- India Gazette
"This is due to complete failure of Karnataka Government": Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Bengaluru stampede
New Delhi [India], June 5 (ANI): Union Minister G Kishan Reddy on Thursday directly blamed the Karnataka Government for the stampede that broke out outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru following Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) win in the IPL final and claimed the lives of 11 and injured 30 others. The Minister called it a 'complete failure' of the state government. While speaking to ANI, Reddy said, 'This is due to the complete failure of the Karnataka Government. Everyone knew that there would be a huge crowd today (after RCB's win in the final), but no proper security arrangement or traffic management was done...' Earlier in the day, Union Minister HD Kumaraswamy accused Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar of being responsible for the stampede. Kumaraswamy alleged that the incident was caused by the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister's 'impatience, immaturity, and irresponsibility.' Addressing a late-night press conference at his official residence in New Delhi, the Union Minister demanded that 'the person responsible for this tragedy must be immediately sacked from the cabinet.' He criticised the Congress government in Karnataka as being run by 'arrogant fools' and said, 'We have a Chief Minister who is completely inactive. He has no control over the Deputy CM. As for the State Home Minister, there's no point in discussing it. He merely obeys commands.' Referring to the government's felicitation event near Vidhana Soudha, Kumaraswamy said, 'While four people lay dead in a stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium, DK Shivakumar continued with the felicitation ceremony as if nothing had happened. How else do you describe such a government other than calling it an arrogant one?' Kumaraswamy expressed dismay over the state's haste in organising a felicitation and said, 'On Tuesday night, the team won the IPL trophy. What was the rush to organise a felicitation event immediately? Who invited the team? Why this urgency? Everyone knows the role the Deputy CM played in all this,' he stated. 'Who rushed to the airport on Wednesday morning to receive the team? Who turned it into an event? It was just the Deputy CM and his entourage. Was this the DK Shivakumar RCB team?' Kumaraswamy questioned sarcastically. 'Why hold two separate events? One program, well-organised with proper preparation, would have been enough. There should have been appropriate security and caution. Instead, everything was rushed simply to glorify himself. As a result of this recklessness, sports fans lost their lives,' he said. Kumaraswamy criticised the DCM's conduct at the stadium and said, 'After his show at Vidhana Soudha, the Deputy CM reached the stadium. Right outside the stadium lay the bodies of the deceased. Rather than stopping the event, he walked onto the ground, lifted the trophy, and kissed it. Did he play the match and win the cup himself? Perhaps even the players didn't get the opportunity to touch the trophy. In the midst of deaths, he used RCB's win for his own PR and self-glorification.' 'This kind of recklessness cannot be tolerated. If the Chief Minister truly has any strength, courage, or leadership, he should start by removing such a person from his cabinet,' the Union Minister demanded. Meanwhile, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar complimented the state police force for controlling the massive influx of people during the RCB celebrations. 'Again, I'm telling on record. I should compliment my Police also, they wanted to have a procession, they wanted to bring a vehicle from the airport guided us not why I rushed to the airport and ensured nothing went Vidhana Soudha, also we were very cautious...,' DK Shivakumar said. 'We never expected such an incident to happen. No political party or official wanted this. They did their best, but there was an uncontrollable crowd,' he added. The Karnataka DyCM also announced the postponement of all programs except the cabinet meeting on June 5. After the incident, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah addressed a press conference and said 11 people died and 33 were injured in the stampede. CM Siddaramaiah said that the government will also provide free treatment to the injured. 'A major tragedy occurred during the victory celebrations. It happened near the Chinnaswamy Stadium. The government has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the deceased. The government will provide free treatment to the injured,' he added. (ANI)
