25 April,2017 06:01 PM IST | Thane | Faisal Tandel
After grand January opening, Kausa Sports Complex in Mumbra rots in neglect as Thane Municipal Corporation uses it to dump scrap, forcing sportspersons to travel elsewhere for practice
mid-day found the ground littered with discarded hoarding material, broken iron grilles and other scrap
When civic officials threw open Mumbra's 16-acre Kausa Sports Complex in January, they said it would give the area's young athletes a sporting chance. Barely three months after, mid-day found that the stadium is often closed to visiting sportspersons and is, instead, used as a scrapyard by the Thane Municipal Corporation.
Abdul Qadeer
During a recent visit, this reporter found the stadium grounds littered with discarded hoarding material, broken iron grilles and other items of scrap that had been seized during encroachment drives by the civic body.
Aerial view of the complex inaugurated this January. Pic/Sameer Markande
No entry for sportspersons
On the other hand, budding sportspersons are not allowed inside except for a few hours early in the morning. Jainab Shaikh (19) is a state-level athlete who says she has been turned away from the stadium time and again. "I went to the ground for practice, but was told that no one is allowed entry after 9 am. They allow morning joggers inside for a few hours and then shut the gates. What's the point of having a ground in Mumbra if we end up having to go to Thane for practice? If we have access right here, we can practice and dream of playing at the national and international level to bag medals for our country," she said.
"In the first week of January, after the stadium was inaugurated by NCP chief Sharad Pawar, a football tournament was held for schoolgirls from Mumbra. But, ever since, the grounds have not opened for practice," she added.
It was with much fanfare that the stadium was inaugurated. Spread over 16 acres, it has an eight-lane, 400m synthetic athletic track; an athletic gallery; an indoor badminton hall with four courts; an Olympic-size swimming pool, tennis court, basketball court, volleyball court, yoga hall, carom and chess hall. There is also a sports library for students.
'Still incomplete'
Much of this, though, has gone to seed. Abdul Qadeer (48), who plays for the Mumbai Football Club, said, "The authorities claimed that the stadium is for national and international level sport, but if you look at its present condition, it's not fit for state level players even. A few months ago, they had a good grass field for football, but that is now dusty and poorly maintained."
This is particularly disappointing considering how long Mumbra has waited for such a facility. "I have been hearing promises for a stadium for a decade. In 2008, when I received an award from the Corporation, they promised the stadium would be ready in 2012," Qadeer pointed out.
He added, "The running track is ready and every Sunday, I see a few athletes practising on the track, but even they have to acquire special permission. The swimming pool is ready, but not used. Mumbra's civic ground, too, is in pathetic condition. School and college students should be allowed to play on the stadium grounds. This can help them earn scholarships and even bag medals."
Saba Shaikh Pravin (26), football coach to around 70 girls from Mumbra, said they are often forced to travel all the way to Mumbai for practice.
"We have won most of the matches we played at the state and national level. But, practice is still a problem, especially because parents don't like their daughters travelling too far. If we could practise at the Kausa stadium every day, it would boost our performance all the way to the international level," she said.
