Rourkela: The abrupt closure of the Parade ground in Uditnagar locality here after Republic Day celebrations has deprived educational institutions in the city of conducting sports events. Also, sportspersons and morning walkers have been affected, sources said Tuesday. The closure of the ground has sparked resentment among sports lovers. Various beautification works were undertaken at the Parade ground before the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup. A number of sports events were also held at the ground to commemorate the World Cup.
However, after the Republic Day celebrations, the ground was closed to the public and has remained so ever since. As a result training of national-level sportspersons has been affected. Also, people who used to visit the ground for fitness regimen are not being able to do so, locals pointed out. Students of the Uditnagar Government High School who used to visit the ground regularly for various recreational activities, cannot do so now. Headmistress Shakuntala Barik of the school said Tuesday that the playground of the institution which has a student strength of approximately 1,500, is very small. So the Parade ground is the main destination for various sports activities.
However now, due to the closure all physical activities of the students have stopped. Physical education teacher (PET) Satyanarayan Rout of Municipal College said that every year the annual sports used to be held at the Parade ground. “This year the Rourkela Municipal Corporation has denied us permission. So we may have to abandon plans of conducting our annual sports,” Rout informed.
Senior sports enthusiast Susant Behera said that promising sportspersons are not able to train properly and their future is at stake. When contacted, deputy municipal commissioner Sudhanshu Bhoi said that the Rourkela Smart City authority is yet to hand over the ground to the civic body. Talks are on and very soon the Parade ground will be reopened for sportspersons and enthusiasts, he added.
