Operation clean-up at Koramangala Stadium

Unclean surroundings, poor toilets pose concern

Preparations are on in full swing at the Koramangala Indoor Stadium as it gears up to host the Premier Badminton League from Saturday. This will be the home leg for the Bengaluru Blasters and there will be two additional days of matches after the Chennai leg was shifted to the city. As such, the Bengaluru leg will end on January 11.

It has been quite a while since the stadium hosted a major event -- the Pro Wrestling League in December 2015. At the time, the sanitation arrangements had come under fire, with the condition of the toilets being deplorable. While the wrestlers had portable toilets available to them, the general public and others were made to suffer. With a cloud over the sanitary arrangements, the organisers, DNA Entertainment Network, have been focusing on getting the venue ready and upto international standards by January 5.

Cleaning up operations were in full swing with a number of workers scrubbing the floor and windows of the lower tier in an attempt to ensure presentable conditions. “We are going to play host to international athletes so there can be no compromises in terms of quality in and around the stadium,” said an official. Work began on Monday with lighting and sound settings along with other structural arrangements being put in place. While the authorities have a tentative sketch of the court placement and seating of officials, the wooden courts have to arrive from Hyderabad.

“There is a plan in place and we have an idea of how the court will be placed but nothing can be said till the court arrives. “There can be minor adjustments with the measurements so we will procede accordingly,” said the source. Apart from the main court there will also be a requirement for training courts at the venue but space constraints could be a stumbling block, in which case the Sree Kanteerava Courts will be the next option.

“After the complete set-up is finished, we will know if we can accomodate the training courts. In the event of that not being possible, we will have the players train at Kanteerava. Nothing is final as yet, though,” the official said. The Bengaluru Blasters will take on Hyderabad Hunters in the opening tie on Saturday.