BBMP somersault dooms gymnastics facility
None knew a miracle was in the offing when on January 21, last year, the BBMP invited for works including an annexe of the ward office building on 22nd Cross, 3rd Block of Jayanagar. The last date for submitting bid was February 10. 
A mere three days after the expiry of the deadline, part of the annexe building was inaugurated at a function attended by VIPs, including Home Minister R Ashoka, Bangalore South MP Ananth Kumar Jayanagar MLA B N Vijaykumar and then Mayor Nataraj.
But the miracle was a nightmare for sportpersons and sportslovers. The construction of the ward office ate into the space at the Kitturu Rani Chennamma Sports Complex at Jayanagar.
Who in the BBMP’s “works”, costing Rs 3.5 crore will benefit, apart from contractors, is yet to be known, but the victims have been identified.
They are the gymnasts who train at the incomplete gymnastics hall at the sports complex. The dream of the gymnasts to have a full-fledged training facility at the sports complex may now stand unrealised, thanks to the ward office which has muscled into space earmarked for the gymnasium.
Rajendra, a senior coach of the Sports Promotion Association, a registered body which has official sanction, is a shattered man.
He is running from pillar to post to find out the fate of the club which has produced more than 6,000 gymnasts, many of them went on to represent Karnataka and the country.
Senior gymnast Ramanujam who met local corporator N Nagaraju to find out the fate the gymnastics hall was shocked at the couldn’t-care-less attitude of the elected representative.
“We require a minimum height of 25’ and 75’x65’ floor area as our athletes practice somersaults on parallel bars, roman rings, balancing beams, pommel horse and horizontal bars. “Now, looking at the ongoing structure and internal staircases, the height is reduced to 18 feet. When we tried tell corporator about the problem, he told us that the gymnasts should take to yoga instead,” he told Deccan Herald.
Eighteen feet is a ludicroudly low height for events like roman rings and pommel horse. A gymnast cannot climb a pommel horse and take swings with the ceiling being so low.
Worried about the fate of the hall, the gymnasts and their coaches tried find out information about the “works” at the sports complex. They did not get any. Worse, they were chased away. Speaking with Deccan Herald, Nagaraju, boasted of gifting a high-tech international stadium with dominatory facilities, toilets, two shuttle courts, apart from gymnastics hall.
He denied that the ward office had been inaugurated despite being confronted with a photograph of the tablet on the inauguration of the conference hall and tender papers for the project available with this paper. When asked why sports has taken back seat while high-tech ward office with air-conditioned conference hall is ready, Nagaraju’s had expansive advice for the athletes.
“They should have patience if they want full-fledged gymnastics hall. Like a peon, i have slogged to get the sanctions.” The athletes and their coaches complained bitterly to the BBMP commissioner who visited the construction site last week.
