How Diljit Dosanjh fans failed athletes

Middle-distance runner Beant Singh arrived at his morning drills punctually, as always, on Monday. However, upon stepping onto the training ground, he was greeted by a scene that could only be described as a train wreck of epic proportions, leaving him utterly disheartened.

Crestfallen, Singh could think of nothing better than whipping out his phone to capture photos and videos, eager to broadcast the spectacle of misery that awaited him and countless other athletes in a display of shared suffering.

The aftermath of popular singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh's two-day concert at Delhi's Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was marred by widespread littering, strewn with debris, empty alcohol containers, and damaged athletic equipment, painting a stark picture of neglect following the event.

The JLN stadium after being cleaned up by SAI on Tuesday (Pic: SAI)

The stadium hosted the 'Dil-Luminati' concert on Saturday and Sunday, attracting nearly 40,000 enthusiastic fans each night.

"This is where athletes train, but here people had alcohol, danced and partied. Because of these kind of things, the stadium will remain close for 10-10 days. The athletics equipment like the hurdles have been broken and thrown here and there (sic)," Singh, who had won silver and bronze in the 2014 and 2018 National Open Championships respectively, wrote on Instagram on Monday. "This is the situation of sport, sportspersons and stadium in India....medals do not come in the Olympics because there is no respect and support for sportspersons in this country."

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) stated that its contract with the concert organisers was unequivocal, the stadium was to be returned in the ‘same condition that it was handed over to them'.

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When Mid-Day contacted SAI for a comment, a source remarked, "These things take time. Earlier, we had asked you to give us 24 hours. The stadium is now entirely cleaned and fit to organise an ISL match too."

National medalist Prashant Singh emphasised that such a situation is a rare occurrence at Hyderabad's Gachibowli Stadium, where it often remains unaddressed for weeks. He claimed that the track has also deteriorated due to the numerous events held at the stadium.

Gomti Thakur from Indian women's rugby team wrote, "Shame on you guys. Please give respect and our place." (Pic: Screengrab/Instagram)

A track and field athlete from Delhi, who did not wish to be named, told Mid-Day that several athletes, including him, have submitted requests to the SAI for compensation, citing damage to their hurdles and storage boxes containing starting blocks, as well as other equipment such as shot puts, discs, and medicine balls.

"Jo loss huya woh toh humara hi huya na. Woh bharenge yeh. (It's us who had to incur the losses, will they do anything?) Are we asking too much? If you cannot safeguard our equipment, why do you allow such concerts to take place? We have been told that they will allow us to train only after Thursday. Now, tell me, who is suffering the most? Humare baare mein kaun hi sochta hai (No one considers our needs)," he told Mid-Day over the phone.

A Delhi athlete expressed frustration over public criticism of India's lack of medals at big events, highlighting the chaos left at JLN Stadium after Tuesday's events (Pic: Screengrab/Instagram)

The 24-year-old also noted that all athletes have been instructed to train on the outdoor track until October 31. However, he added that its poor condition has disrupted their training schedules, particularly with the National Junior Championships and national school events on the horizon.

This is not the first instance of Delhi's JLN Stadium being left in disarray following public events attended by large crowds. "Ab kya bole, itne complaints kiye hum, lagbagh roz karte hai, lekin kuch badla nahi, lagta nahi kuch badlega (What can I say? We have lodged so many complaints, nearly every day, but nothing has changed. It doesn't seem like anything will change)," he signed off.