Lucknow sporting facilities to get major facelift

Lucknow, Sep 6 (IANS) The K.D. Singh Babu Stadium and Chowk Stadium in Lucknow will be given a major facelift under the Smart City scheme.

Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), sports, Navneet Sehgal said that within two days, he would finalise the estimate for the sports infrastructure that would come up at the K.D. Singh Babu Stadium.

"I have been coming to the stadium for many years and have played cricket here. I will visit the stadium again with the divisional commissioner to discuss plans," he said.

Sehgal, who recently took over as ACS sports, also asked sports director R P Singh about the facilities required and said he wanted to give a grand look to the stadium.

He also reviewed facilities for badminton, weightlifting and boxing players.

He said the old building was a sports heritage and should be converted into a sports museum and library while a new multi-storeyed sports directorate building with hi-tech facilities would come up near the basketball court and the cricket ground.

"The boxing ring will be fully modernized with resting sheds and chairs. The three courts in the badminton hall will be made synthetic courts with good lighting arrangements. A synthetic track will be developed on the main ground of the stadium. Weightlifting hall will be properly air conditioned and beautified with a false ceiling."

He said that to address space issues, an underground parking lot would be developed under the cricket practice ground.

"Tin sheds, chairs, washrooms and water purifiers will be provided at every sports ground. Fully air conditioned sports auditorium and sports annexe will also be constructed," he said, adding that the sports hostel would also be air conditioned.

"I will focus on modernizing sports infrastructure keeping in view the requirement of the players so that they do not face any inconvenience," Sehgal added.