Footballers who regularly practise at the Nandan Football Ground at Austin Town were disturbed, on Tuesday, to see huge pandals on the ground, as the government prepares to organize International Women’s Day celebrations on the grounds. MLA NA Haris has been making preparations, and the footballers are miffed that their grounds have been damaged. The pegs of the pandals were fixed after the ground was dug.

COMMERCIAL BREAK
SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING

What is worse, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has also demolished a portion of the compound wall. The International Women’s Day event is set to draw a huge crowd.

“The football ground has only one entrance. As a large number of people are expected to gather on Tuesday, the local MLA directed BBMP officials to demolish a portion of the compound wall to prevent a stampede. BBMP will demolish two metres of the compound wall, which will be rebuilt after the function,” said a BBMP official.

Local footballers are aghast that the grounds should be mauled for an event that will last just one day. “We use the grounds for practice sessions. Now, for celebrating this function, the BBMP has dug it up. We have no space for our practice, and the damage to the ground will be hard to undo. We’ll have to get work done on the ground to resume our games,” said a footballer, recalling that it was on these grounds that one of India’s best goalkeepers, PK Nandan, practised.

“Austin Town is the hub of the city’s footballers. Players who practised here have gone on to play for the country in international matches. Now see what these grounds have come to,” said another footballer.

“A year ago, there was a similar destruction of the compound wall. The local corporator was kind enough to reconstruct the wall. Now, they are doing it again. We want the ground to be dedicated to footballers. It’s not nice that every once in a while, we are expected to halt all practice and hand over the grounds for functions. Does the city not have any other space where a Woman’s Day function could be held? And how can you accord such low priority to sports? Can the city not afford to keep some spaces free for those wishing to practise? And is it so hard to understand that sportspeople need a space where practise can go on through the year, uninterrupted?” asked a livid footballer.

Corporator of Shantalanagar ward, Shivakumar, said, “It is necessary that the sports practice is not disturbed. The ground should not be used for any other purpose. We will reconstruct the compound wall after the Woman’s Day function. The ground will also be improved at a cost of Rs30 lakh.