When they get tired of sitting in front of their desktops or laptops, they drag their weary selves out for a coffee or a snack.
Some of them have started growing their own plants recently on the tech park’s campus. But very soon, they can also indulge in some football...on the rooftop. Touted to be India’s largest rooftop arena, the nearly one lakh employees in the city’s Manyata Business Park will be able to enjoy a game of football on a field measuring 13,000 sq.ft. on the eighth floor of one of the buildings in the 110-acre park.
There are two futsal courts in the arena, which is set to be launched on April 6, with a launch tournament with eight teams — all office park users — facing off. Eventually, they plan to organise amateur leagues and tournaments which will be open to public.
“Five-a-side football is a faster, more action packed variant of football played on artificial turf inside a netted ground. This variant of the game requires less space and is catching on like wildfire across football enthusiasts and fitness enthusiasts alike.
The limitation of space in the city makes rooftops ideal for the sport which is played both recreationally as well as professionally,” said a statement from Embassy, which has collaborated with Tiger 5, a sports infrastructure development and management company to build the arena. Rajat Bindra, Managing Partner, Tiger 5, said though there were a few arenas in cities such as Mumbai, they were mostly in malls and much smaller.
“The usual size is around 5,400 sq.ft. This one is much larger. There are two grounds side-by-side which can accommodate two five-a-side games, and if it is opened into one, a seven-a-side game,” he said.
But the arena will not be limited to football.
“Rooftop is unique as this is the first football standard court on a rooftop. It’s also about using spaces more effectively. Currently, it will open only for football, but we will definitely look at expanding and adding different workshops like zumba, yoga, etc,” said Mike Holland, CEO, Embassy Office Parks.
