For fitness, sports: Four Delhi stadiums to be thrown open to all from next month

New Delhi: While India is familiar with stories of talented sportspersons and athletes yearning for infrastructure and resources that match their abilities, in a bold move, the Sports Ministry has now decided to bring the best of sporting facilities to all such sportspersons across the country by opening up four of its stadiums in the Capital city, including the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium and Karni Singh Shooting Range, free of cost to federations and athletes starting next month.

From November 1, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium (JLN), Indira Gandhi Stadium (IG), Major Dhyanchand Stadium and Karni Singh Shooting Range (KSSR) will be accessible to all sportspersons, in a move that is also expected to promote the Central government's Fit India Movement, according to a Ministry statement. In the first phase, these stadiums will be opened for state and national federations to host competitions, tournaments and leagues of various sporting disciplines, with each stadium earmarked for specific sports.

JLN will be hosting football leagues, training and competitions organised by federations, while IG stadium will be earmarked for wrestling, boxing, judo and badminton. Shooting competitions will be hosted at KSSR, while hockey and swimming meets will be held at the National Stadium.

Talking about the move, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government is trying its best to provide aspiring athletes with enough playfields to children and those interested in fitness and sports. "The Ministry has at its disposal some of the best sporting infrastructure of the country, and needs to be utilised for the benefit of promoting the sporting culture and ecosystem in the country," he said. "The intention of the ministry is to increase the use of existing sports infrastructure by 3 times in the next 3 months. I am sure this step will not only promote fitness but will also prompt more youngsters to compete in sport and help us identify more talent for the country," Rijiju added.

There is, however, a catch to the situation, wherein federations using the facilities will have to bear their own electricity usage costs, as per sources in the ministry. "But in case the competition is of national level, Sports Authority of India may bear that cost on a case-to-case basis," the source said.

The new policy will also allow non-SAI coaches to train their athletes at the stadia without any charge, provided that the coach has a minimum of at least 10 wards under his or her tutelage. Training sessions can be booked by a coach online from November 1 and the coach can charge a reasonable training fee from his or her trainees. Youngsters, who aren't training for any sport professionally, will also have access to these stadiums and can play a game of their choice by advance online booking against available slots.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Hockey India have already charted out a roadmap for conducting a number of leagues and competitions in the next three months, the statement said.