Waiting game to train on new turf in Ferozepur goes on

Anirudh Gupta

Ferozepur, March 28

For the budding hockey players here, the wait for a synthetic turf might be over. The work to lay the turf was recently completed at the new hockey stadium here. However, the dream to play on the synthetic turf — ignited over eight years ago — will not yet be realised.

The Sports Department has not yet got the electricity connection for the stadium, due to which the turf cannot be watered.

“The turf is of no use to us till date, as we have not been able to practise even once,” said Harman Singh, a budding hockey player.

District Sports Officer Parminder Singh said that the department has already applied for the electricity connection. “There were lots of formalities involved but we have sent the application for the connection,” said the DSO.

The foundation stone for the stadium was laid in 2014 and the estimated cost was over Rs 10 crore. While most of the work was completed by 2016, the turf was not laid due to a shortage of funds. Not being in use, the stadium building started to deteriorate over the years. In 2019, a grant of over Rs 6 crore was released, with over Rs 5 crore earmarked for the laying of the turf and the rest for the pending civil works. However, over three years later, the work is yet to be completed.

It is pertinent to mention that Ferozepur has been a nursery for producing international hockey players, including Gagan Ajit Singh.