KRC stadium set to get long-awaited synthetic track

Built in the 1970s to entice sports enthusiasts of South Bengaluru, the Kittur Rani Chennamma Stadium has for decades been a victim of neglect and lack of foresight.

But now, a respite of sorts seems to be within reach for at least one sport among many others at the 10-acre facility.

After years of relentless requests from athletes and coaches, the 400-metre running track at the stadium in Jayanagar -- which went from cider to tar over a decade ago -- is all set to get a synthetic track.

Though the endless wait for an athletics-specific track is finally over, the stadium which houses more than 500 athletes of all age groups are now struggling to find an alternate option for everyday training after it was closed in October when the project took off.

This has added fresh woes for sportspersons who eagerly wait for the completion of work to get back to their normal routine.

“It is the start of a new season with important competitions lined-up in the next few months. With our home ground shut, we have to beg and plead for space to practice at other facilities everyday,” said a coach who has been training students at the stadium for more than 15 years and didn’t wish to be named.

The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), who own the property and have taken up the responsibility of renovating the athletic arena, had initially promised to reopen the stadium within two months.

That deadline has however not been met with only 200 metres of the new track laid so far. The delay is because of the shortage of materials that are being sourced from Malaysia, according to the contractor Satish.

“Continuous rains and the late arrival of required materials from Malaysia slowed down the progress,” said Staish, who is coordinating with Ebaco, a sports infrastructure company, roped in for laying the track at the cost of approximately Rs 1.5 crores.

“We have now received everything we were waiting for. The remaining work which includes fencing around the track and two footbridges for walkers to cross from the tile track to the mud field in between will be completed in the next 15 days,” he assured.

The project initiated by Sowmya Reddy, the present MLA of Jayanagar, more than a year ago further confirmed that the long-awaited synthetic track will see no more setbacks.

“We had to get the track ready 3-4 years ago. But funds for the constituency were slashed by 61% about 3.5 years ago when the BJP government came into power in the State," Sowmya said.

“This affected the developmental projects including the stadium renovation. We managed to fight for it and I’m glad that the work is underway. The refurbished stadium will be open for everyone soon.”