Sports development in Coimbatore will receive a boost, if the demands placed before the Corporation and its decision to pander to the same are anything to go by.
The demands placed before the Coimbatore include an indoor stadium, a swimming pool of international standards and a turfed hockey ground.
For a city of Coimbatore's stature and rate of growth, the demands are not unreasonable, says P. Rajkumar, Chairman, North Zone, and president, Coimbatore Fencing Association. Not only that, no sports infrastructure development has happened for many years. The last was the inauguration of Nehru Stadium in the late 1980s.
Thereafter, the State Government through its agencies made several attempts but they remained just that. In 1997, the Tamil Nadu Government decided to come up with indoor stadiums in Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchi and Tirunelveli. The Coimbatore wing of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu did the necessary spadework.
It identified lands near Ganga Nursing Home in Ram Nagar, on Cowley Brown Road, Guru Gobind Road and near Sastri Maidan in R.S. Puram. It even dashed off a requisition later, dated June 12, 1998, to the then Coimbatore Mayor seeking his suggestion and approval.
It also submitted copies of the same to the then Corporation Commissioner, Education Minister and the Coimbatore Collector. But its efforts went in vain.
In 1998, the State Government sanctioned around Rs. 4 crore for the construction of an indoor stadium. But nothing much happened, and, it is understood, the Government diverted the funds to construct an indoor stadium in Krishnagiri.
Since then the demand has only grown. An indoor stadium is the need of the hour. Only then the city can train its youngsters, says G.K. Selvakumar, head of the State Gymnastics Association.
The city used to have State and national players but not of late. The reason: lack of an indoor stadium. If only the Government intervenes and provides suitable infrastructure, the city can mould more youngsters and put sports back on track to glory, intones N. Soundarajan, Treasurer, Coimbatore District Table Tennis Association.
An indoor stadium will act as a common place for children to practise on a regular basis, complements Shanthi Rao, Secretary, Coimbatore District Badminton Association and senior vice-president of the State association.
The demands seem to have found favour with the Corporation Mayor and officials, who are expected to respond in the budget.
