Karachi: Major investment in stadiums

[Naveed Yaseen]

By Qadeer Tanoli
The City District Government Karachi (CDGK) is working to complete the construction of new cricket stadiums besides developing the existing stadiums in accordance with international standards, The News has learnt.

The City Government is all set to inaugurate the Rashid Latif Academy as soon as flood lights are installed there. The foundations of these imported lights have been erected and work is in progress to install them.

The CDGK has also repaired the existing pavilion of the stadium along with enhancing the seating capacity from 500 to 5,000. Grass has been planted here as well

An official of the Works and Services Department, CDGK, who requested anonymity, told The News that the total expenditure on the stadium is around Rs50-55 million including the cost of flood lights. He was hopeful that the stadium would be inaugurated on June 25 this year.

Another cricket stadium in North Karachi, 11-A, is also near completion. The initial cost of this stadium was around Rs14 million. However, as the CDGK wants to install flood lights here as well, the cost of developing the stadium would be around Rs49 million.

The official said that the length and width of all stadiums is the same as that of an international cricket stadium. The stadium in North Karachi, he added, will have a capacity of 5,000 people and will be ready for inauguration by the end of this month.

Also, a sports complex in New Karachi, 11-D, is also being built at a cost of Rs105 million. This complex, with a capacity of 10,000 people, will have tennis courts, squash courts, swimming pools, diving pools, billiard and gymnasiums.

The complex, depending on the availability of funds, is likely to be given final touches in next year. The cricket ground of the complex, however, will be completed by the end of this month.

Meanwhile, construction for two more stadiums in Orangi Town, Orangi 11 and Sector 13, is underway.

The latter stadium has been named the Shadab Cricket Stadium. Both stadiums will have flood lights.

Yet, another sports stadium in Baldia Town is also being constructed — Union Council (UC) 3, Sector 8 — at a cost of Rs105m.

Sources from The Works and Services Department told The News that the CDGK is building stadiums, but, after their completion, the Community Development Department of the City Government will be responsible to look after them.

An official of the CDGK said that the former captain of the Pakistan cricket team wicket keeper Rashid Latif played an important role in the building of these cricket stadiums. Latif developed the pitches of the afore-mentioned grounds using the mud of Nandipur, Punjab, under his supervision.

Each cricket stadium will be named after a renowned international cricketer who will also be responsible for coaching youngsters there, said the official.

The stadiums will be available for first-class matches as well as for international matches. Apart from the cricket stadium, a hockey stadium, named after the Olympian Iftikhar Syed, is also being developed in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Block 6.

Astroturf is being laid on the ground under the supervision of a Dutch consultant. The cost of the laying the astroturf, reinstallation of flood lights and other facilities will cost the CDGK Rs50 million.

Paperwork on the Hanif Khan Hockey Stadium, which will be built in Gulshan-e-Iqbal, is also being processed.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=182606