These are the top sports facilities in India with world-class facilities and have the capability to host international competitions.
Siri Fort Sports Complex, New Delhi
Siri Fort Sports Complex is a leading venue in New Delhi, which was built for 1982 Asian Games. The Siri Fort Auditorium is located close to it. The complex holds events in basketball, squash, swimming, football, cricket, tennis and badminton.
Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, Pune
One of the best sports complexes in India is Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex, which was opened in 1995 and has a seating capacity of 12000 persons. The complex is located in Balewadi, Pune and was the venue which hosted the 2008 Commomwealth Youth Games.
JRD Tata Sports Complex, Jamshedpur
Featuring next on the list is the JRD Tata Sports Complex, a multi use stadium located in the city of Jamshedpur. The complex is chiefly used as a venue for hosting athletics events and football matchers. It has a huge seating capacity of 40000 spectators.
Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai
Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai is another popular multi sport facility, which is used for hosting events in sports like boxing, tennis, squash and karate. Inaugurated in 1988, this sports complex can accommodate 20000 persons at a time.
Bhim Rao Ambedkar International Sports Stadium, Faizabad
The next name in this list is that of Bhim Rao Ambedkar International Sports Stadium, located in Faizabad, Uttar Pradesh, which was built in 1945, but underwent extensive renovation in 2013. The complex has a capacity of 30000 spectators and has facilities for football, cricket, volleyball, table tennis, wrestling, etc.
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Guwahati
Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Guwahati is another well equipped multipurpose stadium, which was established in 1962 and is managed by the Board of Sports, Government of Assam. It has hosted several national and international football and cricket matches. The seating capacity of the complex is 30000.
Mahabir Stadium, Hisar
Mahabir Stadium in Hisar, Haryana features next on the list of best sports complexes in the country. The stadium was opened in 1972 and renovated in 1988 and has a capacity to accommodate 25000 spectators at a time. It is managed by the District Olympic Association of Hisar.
Talkatora Stadium, Delhi
Talkatora Stadium is an indoor stadium located in the capital city of New Delhi, which is managed by the Municipal Council of New Delhi. This multipurpose sports complex has a capacity of 3035 people.
Some other famous sports complexes in India are Indira Gandhi Arena, Delhi, Gachibowli Stadium, Hyderabad and Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, Taleigao. All these have been well maintained by the government to encourage sports in the country.
Challenges faced by these Multi-sports Facilities
It’s only in recent years that India has been able to achieve some success in various sports disciplines at the international level (until now it has always been Cricket for Indians). The Indian government is keen to promote sports in India and has taken several measures to get more people involved in sports.
In terms of infrastructure, there are now quite a few stadiums/sports complexes (listed above) that are capable of hosting international sports competition.
These sports complexes designed to stage international competitions (most of these have already hosted a few high profile sports events) and during other times, top athletes and sportspersons to use those world class facilities to practice.
One of the major problems that most sporting facilities in India face is that of ‘maintaining the facility’. While these sports association has been able to maintain the place well, most of them want to reduce the dependency on non-sporting activities to generate revenues for their maintenance.
For example, the Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Balewadi, Pune also has a mall in the vicinity which generates revenues, but there are other challenges of having a mall nearby.
These sports clubs are looking at various options to maintaining the facility and feel that the Corporate World can play an important role in maintaining the facility (as part of their CSR activities).
Another issue that these sports complexes want to address is the falling number of people who are using the sports club. Its observed that the usage of the facilities usually increases during competitions/events, but otherwise some of these sports complexes are not being used to their full capacities. The ideal scenario would be where many more sports men and women use the world class facilities (as India doesn’t have many such world class facilities), not just during competitions, but throughout the year.
These associations who manages these sports complexes ensure the quality of existing facilities is maintained and are always on the lookout for plans/ideas to make them financially sustainable in the future. Besides ensuring their facilities are in top shape and adequately maintained, the associations are aware that they have to reach out to other bodies/associations to ensure maximum participation, get funds, and to increase the development of sports in India.
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