MS Gill inaugurates swimming pool complex for Commonwealth Games

Union sports and youth affairs minister MS Gill on Sunday inaugurated the ‘remodelled and reconstructed’ Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Pool Complex, one of the venues for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, at the Delhi University campus.

The function was held in the presence of Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, Commonwealth Games Organising Committee chairman Suresh Kalmadi, several sports persons and senior sports ministry officials.

“This is an outstanding complex and a remarkable engineering marvel. It is equipped with all the modern facilities even better than the Melbourne Games,” Gill said.

The complex, which was constructed in 1982 to hold the Asian Games, has been upgraded and renovated with state of art facilities to meet the international standards required for hosting world-class aquatic events.

With a total seating capacity of 5000 spectators, the complex now has the largest cohestrand supported, breathable and elliptical shaped aluminum roof.

It is the largest covered aquatic stadium in the country having Olympic-sized racing and diving pools with a six lanes warm up pool.

The 12-day sporting extravaganza will be India's biggest sporting event since the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi.