Jagdalpur’s city ground had hosted State-level 4-day Junior Boys Football Championship where sportspersons from all over the State had participated three days ago. State team was selected on the basis of this tournament which would now play in regional and national level tournaments. Bastar divisional headquarters is again ready for hosting three-day long State-level tourney from November 22.
In coming days, the city will host more such sports events but there seemed hardly anyone in the administration to take care of the grounds which host these tourneys as bereft of even basic facilities none of the three grounds – City Ground, Hata Ground and lal Parade Ground – available at the divisional headquarters is considered as fit for conducting State level sports events let aside games of national and international level despite the fact that the state government is provisioning crores of rupees for promotion of sports and developing sports facilities at district and tehsil levels. According to Jagdalpur Municipal Corporation officials, there is urgent need to provide necessary facilities at all the three grounds, a proposal for allocation of Rs4 crore to this effect has already been sent to the Urban and Administration Department, Raipur but the file is stuck somewhere in the proceedings due to Assembly elections. As soon as JMC gets the approval, renovation work of all the three grounds would be taken up, they added. According to officials, at the cost of Rs2 crore sitting stand for viewers and hockey, football grounds as also a cricket pitch would be constructed at lal Parade Ground.