Reiterating that the city will get an indoor stadium, Minister of State for Youth Services, Sports and Fisheries K. Abhayachandra Jain announced here on Sunday that it will be exclusively for badminton.
In a chat with presspersons on the sidelines of a meeting, the Minister said that it would have four courts and its construction cost has been estimated at Rs. 3 crore.
The existing U.S. Mallya indoor stadium at Lalbagh has facilities for playing basket ball, shuttlecock and volley ball all under one roof. It was not comfortable for many badminton players, hence the process of identifying land for the new stadium was on, he said.
Mr. Jain said the proposal of constructing a swimming pool, the second one in the city, would be taken forward. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who would be in the city on April 30 to inaugurate the 19th Federation Cup/National Senior Athletics Championship 2015 at Mangala Stadium, would also lay the foundation stone for the new swimming pool at Emmekere.
It would come up on a two-acre plot of land. He said the estimated project cost of Rs. 5 crore for the swimming pool was too high and he has asked the officials to reduce the cost.
Initially the construction was proposed to be entrusted to a Puttur-based construction agency which built the swimming pool at the National Institute of Technology–Karnataka, Surathkal. But as some officials had reservations on it, the plan would be discussed further and a decision on which agency to be assigned the work would be taken.
The Minister said that currently there was no plan for any other sports project in the city in memory of the Federation Cup, which would be organised for the first time in Karnataka in the coastal city.
He said that the Mangala Stadium would be benefited from organising the national event as it would get a facelift. The government has already sanctioned Rs. 20 lakh to the stadium for raising grass and take up other minor works before the event.
Siddaramaiah to lay foundation stone for second swimming pool
The pool is proposed to come up at Emmeker on two acres
