The possibility of Ransi ground in Pauri located at an altitude of 7000 feet becoming the Sports Authority of India (SAI)’s high- altitude training center has brightened following the inspection by SAI officers from lucknow and Delhi on Thursday evening.
It is learnt that the long-awaited go-ahead has been given after the inspection.
Among those who inspected the ground were the regional director SAI Rajendra Singh from lucknow and the executive director Rachna Govil from Delhi.
They said they were satisfied with the arrangements being made and the condition of the ground. Notably, the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had met the Union Minister of sports and discussed with him the State Government’s plan to develop Ransi stadium as the high- altitude training center and sought assistance from the Centre on the matter. The SAI officers who inspected the ground would submit a report to the top SAI officials.
Things now in the court of the Centre, the sports lovers in the district say that they hope that the CM would take things to their conclusion before long with the assistance of the Centre. Former vice-chairman of Uttarakhand Sports Council and general secretary Uttarakhand Archery Association Jaspal Singh Negi said that decks have been cleared after the SAI team expressed satisfaction over the condition of the ground being favourable for its elevation to a high -altitude training centre. “It has 400 metre track for hosting athletic events,” he said, adding that things were gathering dust since the last visit of the SAI team nearly a year ago. “Now, things would move up after the team’s visit,” he said. He further said that training of boys and girls in football and athletics should be started in the first phase. “The stadium has now hostels to accommodate the youngsters,” he added.
Negi further said that the construction of Ransi ground had been started in 1971 with Rs 1 lakh being provided by Uttar Pradesh Council of Sports. “ In 1974, then chief minister Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna laid down the foundation stone for this stadium and sanctioned Rs 12 lakh. During his stint in the Union ministry as the Union surface transport minister, Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri provided financial assistance from MP fund for renovation of the ground and again as the chief minister of Uttarakhand, he sanctioned Rs 4.98 crore for further developing the stadium. Uttar Pradesh Rajkeeya Nirman Nigam limited constructed nearly all the structures standing on the ground, but parts of the construction remains incomplete till date. Once the construction is completed it would be handed over to SAI,” Negi said, adding that the stadium is fully capable of hosting national and international sports events.