Secunderabad: Grounds shrink, play paused

SECUNDERABAD: Narayanaswamy Jagadish looks forlorn. The 79-year-old veteran misses the sound of hockey sticks, dribbles, tackles and crowds’ whistles and claps. A retired postmaster and a hockey player, Jagadish cannot digest the fact that an erstwhile hockey ground near Paradise Circle, spread over 60 acres, now houses a dump yard and Balamrai pumphouse, with water board tankers making high, groaning sounds 24/7 in the busy circle transporting water.
Jagdish adds, “Things have come to such a pass that I have to hear the sounds of tankers making an entry and exiting the pumphouse.The ground has shrunk totally due to construction of a new academic block for PG College and the pumphouse.” Apart from hockey, football used to be played on this ground. But, not any more.

According to a recent survey conducted by TOI, in association with Varenia CIMS, only 9% citizens are completely satisfied with the working of the government towards promotion of sports.
That the Balamrai hockey ground has fallen on hard times is only the tip of the iceberg of mismanagement of British-era grounds. From 56 playgrounds five decades ago, just 20 remain in Secunderabad Cantonment. While 36 playgrounds have bitten the dust, the less said the better about the remaining ones. Blame it on poor maintenance, lack of funds and poor patronage, the remaining grounds have become a pale shadow of their former self.

The journey started in early 1930s when the British Army, in its endeavour to encourage sports like hockey, football and polo, identified as many as 56 playgrounds like Gymkhana, Parade, Bison Polo and other open spaces so that its troops and civilians could play and enjoy. “The British troops used to play hockey and football on these grounds. Several playgrounds were soon converted to house defence staff residential quarters and Army vehicles,” S Muthuraman, 82, a resident of Trimulgherry, recalls.

No wonder, Secunderabad Cantonment doesn’t have many playgrounds left now, except the ones in Trimulgherry, Mudfort, Bolarum and Bowenpally. Whatever little space is left to play with has come in conflict with authorities’ plans to use them for training soldiers. Last year, the defence authorities occupied the Trimulgherry ground much to the chagrin of locals and sports lovers, who staged protests demanding that the football ground be spared. Thankfully, the Army realised its folly after week-long protests and vacated the premises.
“The iconic ground was the playing field for the likes of Peter Thangaraj, D Kannan and T Balaraman – all Olympians – and internationals John Victor, Surender Kumar, Aleem Khan and Pratap Seelan,” points out former India captain Victor Amal Raj, who once the ruled the maidans here. He says this is bad for the game. “The destruction of playgrounds pains me. Football was all that we thought about in those days.”
Another football ground opposite Rashtrapati Nilayam in Bolarum is now home to wild grass and shrubs. The Army built residential quarters for junior commissioned officers on major portion of the ground and housed a training battalion at the hockey ground near Hakimpet Airforce Station. “This ground used to host big hockey and football tourneys between 1940s and ’80s. All that is a thing of the past now,” Tony, a former footballer, rues.
The playground in West Marredpally was known for round-the-year hockey and baseball games. L Rajan, a veteran coach, recalls the time he played baseball. “Already, a major portion of the ground is being encroached upon. Now, the authorities want to build a bus bay by taking away some more land. This is a new low,” he complains.
GHMC, the bigger cousin of SCB, holds summer camps for students and youngsters at this ground. But, veteran coaches, sports lovers and residents of Cantonment want the government to do much more than organising summer camps. Jagadish has the last word. “The game is in our blood. All we need is a push here and a nudge there. The Telangana government must step in and invest in sports in a big way. Otherwise, all the playgrounds will vanish in no time.”