Thanks to `Test’, Stadium gets facelift

The VVIP longue inside and the box near the stands, where they will be seated, presented a fresh look with the tiled-flooring being polished to add to the glitter. The sawdust sprinkled on the floors warned every hurried visitor that he better watch his steps.

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has spent quite a handsome amount on getting the patch work done on the turf at places, particularly on either side of the goal-posts and also from where the penalty corner shots are taken. The new markings on the turf can be seen as far as from the galleries.

Talking of the cleanliness, it is just not confined to the main arena and its surroundings alone but has also got extended to the entire vicinity. They had been cleaned up, thanks to the `Test’ and the security beef-up. Despite the `threat’ posture having subsided — though Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackrey never said anything about the withdrawal of his call for hockey — the stadium administration and the Delhi Police are not prepared to take any chance on the security aspect.

Additional forces are likely to be in place from tomorrow or just before the team from across the border arrives in the national Capital. All the stadium staff, including the ground staff, have been provided with I-cards without which entry is strictly prohibited. Now all the entry and exit points at the Stadium are manned by round-the-clock security with a few police personnel assisting them.

The `Test’ and the security angle also stalled the Defence Ministry from using the Stadium for stationing its trucks and other communication equipment for the Republic Day functions. In the past, the ministry used to `take over’ the stadium for parking its vehicles and some of its tableau showpieces, besides pitching the tent for its personnel. It used to man the communication system for the Republic Day parade on Rajpath.

After the stadium administration persuaded successfully, joint secretary R.K. Jain in the ministry saw reason and the ministry gave in finally. Otherwise, it would have added to the atmosphere and would have also considerably damaged the pavements on which the vehicles used to be stationed.

Though the trainees had some problem initially, most of them are now used to the atmosphere and they don’t grudge it even one bit. As a hockey official succinctly put it, the Shiv Sainiks’ threat has come as a boon “because the stadium administration has geared up itself to clean the surroundings. But for it (the threat), I don’t think they would have cared or acted. The bushes have been now cleaned and the long grasses have been cut to give a neat look.”

The IHF is also happy about the security arrangements that are being made by the stadium administration. Another official said: “Thanks to the India-Pakistan match, even the turf has been now repaired.”

The stadium administration is also devising a method to keep the repaired parts of the turf going for some time. Apparently, administrator Manmeent Singh Goindi is reported to have had a word with those teams that come for regular practice to use the sideways turf when they are not actually playing a practice game. This way, he feels, the longevity of the `D’ will be extended. Most of the trainees seem to have agreed to his suggestion.

But a parent of one of the trainees wished that the threat perception continued for some more time so that the stadium remained in prime condition for ever. Maybe, he has a point.