Rs 42cr Games gains for Jamia: Practice venue ready

The Rs 42-crore Jamia Sports Complex, which will be used as a practice venue for table tennis and rugby during the Commonwealth Games, was inaugurated by minister for youth affairs and sports Dr M S Gill on Wednesday.

Spread over an area of 2,000 square metres, the complex houses an indoor stadium and has rugby facilities. Gill said after the Games, the complex will be used by students of the university. ‘‘I am happy that in the name of CWG we have given this facility to Jamia. I don’t know how many tourists will come for the Games and how many facilities will be used, but I think it’s worth the money spent as the complex can be used later. The renovated hostel rooms will be in top condition for at least 10 years,’’ said Gill.

The inauguration ceremony was attended by chief minister Sheila Dikshit, former India cricket captain M A K Pataudi, managing director of RITES V K Agarwal, secretary sports, government of India, S Khullar and vice-chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia Najeeb Jung.

Modelled after the rugby stadium of Melbourne CWG, the complex was dug up to 60 centimetres and then filled up with two special layers of sand. The grass was imported from the US.

The earlier multi-purpose hall was refurbished and upgraded to a table tennis and badminton stadium. The renovation included changing the roof and flooring, reinforcing the walls, improving the facade, air-conditioning, lighting and acoustics etc to bring it up to international standards.

There’s also a combined services complex which has been merged with the existing multi-purpose hall. It has facilities such as changing rooms, a fitness centre, venue coordinators’ room, athletes’ waiting lounge, stores for playing equipment, meeting and briefing room, physiotherapy and massage rooms, medical room, cafeteria and ice bath.

Dug up roads, corruption charges and incomplete projects notwithstanding, Dikshit said the CWG infrastructure in the city was the best in the world.

‘‘All the stadiums have been built as per global standards. We have transformed Delhi into a world-class city. After the Games, the city will wear a completely different look. The development which would have otherwise taken half-a-decade has been condensed to just 2010, saving four unnecessary years,’’ said Dikshit.