Despite lapse of 33 years since the government identified the land for sports stadium in Tral, Jammu & Kashmir Sports Council are yet to construct this lone sports stadium in the township here in Pulwama district.
The sports stadium Bajwani Tral here is without basic facilities, much to the disappointment of sports loving people.
As per sources, government allotted few kanals of land for stadium at Bajwani, some 2 kms from main town Tral. However, J&K Sports Council failed to initiate construction work on the stadium, thereby hampering sports activities in the town. Locals as well as sportsmen, who rue the callousness of the authorities, say that the local youth have lost the interest in sports for lack of basic infrastructure in the area. Further, they say that it is dangerous to perform any sports activity inside the ground as it is full of potholes and broken trees.
“The stadium has become a grazing ground for animals. We have only one stadium in the town, but unfortunately it lacks all the basic facilities. In the absence of a proper stadium, youth play in grave yards and main roads,” says Irshad Ahmed, a local.
“Somehow we were playing cricket matches here but many players got injured due to which no one seems interested to play here again,” said Aijaz Ahmed a local cricket player.
The stadium lies at the center of various educational institutions—Government Degree College Tral, Government Boys Higher Secondary School Tral and Industrial Training Institute (ITI).
According to the physical teaching management from these institutions, the aim of promoting sports activities in the area has been defeated by the condition of the stadium. Although the concerned department is aware about the condition of the stadium, yet they have put a deaf ear on the issue.
On visiting the stadium, I saw it dotted with potholes. Besides, there is no sitting arrangement due to which local the spectators face inconvenience.
Meanwhile, a group of locals told Greater Kashmir that the government on many occasions assured them to start the construction work on the stadium but nothing concrete has come up yet.
The players as well as locals urged the concerned authorities to improve the condition of the stadium immediately.
When contacted additional deputy commissioner Tral, Riyaz Ahmad Malik told Greater Kashmir that the matter will be brought to the government.