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Hyderabad: Unable to fathom the state government’s logic behind allocating five acres of the world class Gachibowli Stadium’s land to the Telangana Institute of Medical Sciences (TIMS), close to 150 budding athletes along with their coaches and parents took part in a protest at the GMC Balayogi Atheltics Stadium here on Friday.
Holding placards that read, ‘Save Gachibowli Stadium’ and ‘Don’t Allot Sports Land for Non-Sporting Activities’, the protesters marched along the synthetic track, urging government not to deprive athletes of training facilities.
The hockey stadium, near which the land is proposed to be allotted, had been a training centre for the men’s hockey team for several years. Last year, out of 67 acres of the total stadium land, over nine acres of the sports village was developed as Covid Speciality Hospital. Members of the stadium administration say that transferring another 5 acres of prime stadium land will deprive athletes of training facilities.
“This is the only international stadium we have for Telangana and AP. We have lost 9 acres of the sports village land to the hospital due to which there are no accommodation facilities for athletes coming from districts and other states,” said a coach, under condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, Telangana Olympic Association president Jayesh Ranjan said, “The land which has been given for TIMS is the place where archery practice takes place. I discussed this issue with the sports authority chairman, and he also told us that the issue can be resolved by identifying an alternate location. There are vacant spaces on the rear side of the stadium which can be cleared to create a facility for archery.”
Ranjan said that he will visit the area and try to find a solution with all stakeholders. “Giving land to TIMS is also a priority considering the health situation that we are going through,” he said.
Holding placards that read, ‘Save Gachibowli Stadium’ and ‘Don’t Allot Sports Land for Non-Sporting Activities’, the protesters marched along the synthetic track, urging government not to deprive athletes of training facilities.
The hockey stadium, near which the land is proposed to be allotted, had been a training centre for the men’s hockey team for several years. Last year, out of 67 acres of the total stadium land, over nine acres of the sports village was developed as Covid Speciality Hospital. Members of the stadium administration say that transferring another 5 acres of prime stadium land will deprive athletes of training facilities.
“This is the only international stadium we have for Telangana and AP. We have lost 9 acres of the sports village land to the hospital due to which there are no accommodation facilities for athletes coming from districts and other states,” said a coach, under condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, Telangana Olympic Association president Jayesh Ranjan said, “The land which has been given for TIMS is the place where archery practice takes place. I discussed this issue with the sports authority chairman, and he also told us that the issue can be resolved by identifying an alternate location. There are vacant spaces on the rear side of the stadium which can be cleared to create a facility for archery.”
Ranjan said that he will visit the area and try to find a solution with all stakeholders. “Giving land to TIMS is also a priority considering the health situation that we are going through,” he said.
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