Tracks at Indira Gandhi stadium to be re-laid

SAF Games

By our Sports Reporter

GUWAHATI, Sept 15: The up gradation and renovation works of the city based sports infrastructures, which will be used in the forthcoming SAF Games, will begin this month. Apart from Sarusajai Sports complex, the other venues which are selected as venues for the SAF Games included Hockey stadium at Bhetapara, Bhogeswari Phukani indoor stadium at Super Market, Deshbhakta Tarun Ram Phukan Indoor stadium, Shooting Range and Rajiv Gandhi Indoor stadium, Jalukbari.

The next edition of the SAF Games will jointly host by Guwahati and Shillong respectively. The event will kick off on January 10. Altogether eight countries are expected to take part in the Games.

Talking to the media persons in the side line of a function Ajay Tiwari, the Commissioner and Secretary, Sports &. Youth Welfare, Assam, said that the up gradation as well as different renovation works of the different infrastructure will start this month and around 19.5 crore will be spent for it.

Guwahati will host around 15 events in the forthcoming SAF Games. Sarusajai Stadium will be the centre of attraction as most of the events will be held in this venue including athletics- the main attraction of the Games. Tiwari informed that the tracks of the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium along with the Astro Turf of the Bhetapara Hockey stadium will be re-laid before the Games. "We have planned everything in such a way that the multi-discipline intertiol meet can be organized in a best possible way," said the Commissioner and Secretary.

Meanwhile Indian Soccer League (ISL) will begin next month and as Indira Gandhi Stadium will host seven matches of the tourment during a period of two moths so it can hamper the preparation of the SAF Games. However Tiwari denied that there would be any problems to go with proposed up gradation works as per schedule. Replying a query he said, "The stadium will not be used every day for ISL. We will get enough times between the two games and we will utilize it for the renovation of tracks and other infrastructures."