This story is from November 26, 2018

Let’s play: DDA plans mini sports complexes in Delhi

Let’s play: DDA plans mini sports complexes in Delhi
Illustration for representational purpose
NEW DELHI: Delhi Development Authority (DDA) is going to come up with several ‘mini sports complexes’ in the city, which will provide state-of-the-art sporting facilities of the kind that are found at its 14 sports complexes, albeit on a smaller scale.
With the ‘mini sports complexes’, DDA aims to provide sporting facilities to a larger number of people across different parts of the city at an affordable rate.
DDA sports

At present, the land-owning agency operates 14 sports complexes in the city, including the facilities at Siri Fort, Saket, Jasola, Vasant Kunj, Munirka, Dwarka, Hari Nagar, Paschim Vihar, Pitampura, Ashok Vihar, Rohini, Dilshad Garden, Chilla and Yamuna Sports Complex.
Most of these complexes are extremely popular with thousands of sports enthusiasts of all ages thronging them every day. A few of the facilities, such as the one in Siri Fort, is so popular that DDA has stopped providing permanent memberships as the complex has reached a saturation point.
“Though our sports complexes are spread over large areas, there is a limit to how many permanent members we can accommodate. As a result, we now mainly provide temporary memberships and single day memberships under pay and play schemes,” a DDA official said.
DDA feels that the number and capacity of its sports complexes are grossly inadequate compared to the huge demand for quality sporting facilities in the city. This is what made them consider coming up with ‘mini sports complexes’, which would be able to cater to some of the demand.

The official said that recently, when DDA vice-chairman Tarun Kapoor had visited east Delhi for a site inspection, many people approached him saying that there were very few sporting activities in the area and DDA should create more sporting facilities. “We have lot of undeveloped small land parcels across the city, which we are planning to develop as mini sports complexes. These complexes would have gymnasiums, football or hockey grounds, tennis courts and if possible, small stadiums too,” the official said. “However, apart from grounds and courts, we also need space for facilities such as changing rooms, guard rooms, etc. That is why we are trying to identify land parcels that have more than three acres of area,” he added.
According to the official, the land parcels that will be developed should ideally be congruous and rectangular in shape so that grounds and courts can be developed.
DDA also plans to develop multi gyms, jogging tracks or Yoga sheds at plots that are smaller than three acre in area. “Lands which cannot be developed for their intended purpose due to site constraints could be identified for development of sports or recreation facilities, which would allow their public utilisation as well as upgrade these areas and prevent encroachment,” the official said.
End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA