Leaking walls, torn nets: What ails NCR’s third int’l stadium

Noida: Broken glass doors, seepage on walls, worn-off nets and overused grounds ail the multi-crore Noida Stadium in Sector 21. Built in 2017 as the third international stadium in Delhi-NCR after Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium and Greater Noida Sports Complex, it now lies in shambles due to a lack of maintenance and security. A football academy runs out of the stadium, but the ground has lost its grass cover from overuse. Anadi Barua, the academy coach, said, “We have a great space where we have been training great players. But, sadly, the lack of maintenance is destroying the ground.” Private coaching is on offer at the tennis courts in the stadium, but the paint has peeled off walls, and the nets lie torn. Tennis coach Rohit Verma said, “We have complained to officials managing the stadium about the torn nets and asked for paintwork in the courts.”The football ground is open for all football enthusiasts for two hours in the morning. “However, people keep playing till 11 am and argue when asked to leave. There should be no practice on the ground for at least some hours to allow the grass to regrow,” said Barua. “I pay the Noida Authority nearly Rs 70,000 monthly to run the academy. But if there is no maintenance, how can we train players here?” he asked.A lack of fencing around the football ground allows just about anybody to enter, said coaches, demanding the Noida Authority make ID cards mandatory for all such entries. Stray dogs, they added, are another menace, damaging the ground with their littering and droppings. Water seepage on the walls at the gym and other parts of the stadium has been damaging the structural integrity of the facilities. The glass door at the gym also lies broken.“The Noida Stadium is big and needs an overhaul to maintain the quality of training players can get here. Infrastructural gaps make professional players leave and go to centres in Delhi for practice,” said an athlete.Officials managing the Noida stadium said they have sent all complaints to the Authority. “Whenever there is approval for any maintenance work, along with budget allocation, we will do that,” an official said.A football player who wished to remain anonymous said, “If the Authority ensures ground maintenance, players will come to practice. Also, the ground should be exclusive for professional players. Enthusiasts hamper the ground's training capability.”Apart from sports and games, the Noida Stadium is used for various other events. The Mahakothig Mela, a cultural, musical and handicraft fair depicting the food and folklore of Uttarakhand was held from December 21 to 25.