DY Patil Stadium gets deserving IPL award

MUMBAI: The Best Stadium Experience Award of the IPL for the DY Patil Stadium is a feather in the cap of Vijay Patil, president of the DY Patil Sports Association who has nurtured the Rs 100-core project as his own child.
It is the second recognition after the one of the Architects Journal of Britain which reckoned it the sixth best cricket stadium in the world.
He guided architect Hafeez Contractor to make a stadium which would earn the gratitude of the paying public by the comfort it provided. Not only when they are watching cricket but also when they are moving in and out of it.
It is a pity other agencies that have been involved in stadium aspects like catering have not kept the fans happy. But Patil spared no detail, right from the view to the security. He ensured there would be no pillars to mar the view. From every corner of the stadium you got the same clear view of the proceedings.
The experience that is talked about is because of the army of volunteers ready to help, not found anywhere in the world where there are just security agents.
The most importantly the medical aspect which covers any eventuality. Anything happens to any spectator or player, the people from the DY Patil Medical College are on hand to serve. When Sachin Tendulkar hurt his hand there was a plastic surgeon available in the mini-ICU unit just behind the players' dressing-room to look after him and stitch up his finger. The timely cure would fast-track his recover.
Dr Shyam More, from the hospital, has been supervising the entire operation. He revealed that in the mini-ICU behind the dressing rooms, there are surgeons of the orthopedic, general, plastic surgery type, plus an anesthetist ready to act. Plus there is a general physician, all under the supervision of a medical superintendent of the hospital.
The spectators are not forgotten either. At every bay for four levels there are two doctors. Two bays make one sector which has four doctors in charge, a senior doctor of the level of post graduate or lecturer.
At the stadium campus there are four ambulances and one cardiac ambulance.
At the hospital there are additional beds to cater for patients from the match. Beds are reserved in casualty section, ICU and the wards for the cricket.
The blood bank people are also on call, also ambulance with first-aid kit.
The security aspect is state-of-the-art. It was in place since last February for IPL 2 which didn't happen. In the top level above the pavilion there is the Internet Protocol Security room which has surveillance cameras of every nook and corner of the stadium.
When he conceived the stadium Vijay Patil had no clue who would make use of it. The gods dropped IPL into his lap.
Four games in the first edition and six in the third. On the flip side ten of the second edition got away when IPL 2 went to South Africa. Also the India-Australia ODI which was rained off. "That one hurt," says Vijay Patil. Maybe the IPL award will mitigate the hurt and, hopefully, the money that they spent will come back from the MCA which stood to get all insurance money for match expenses.