Football ground, no kicking around!

Football ground, no kicking around!
By Satish Shile,DH News Service,Bangalore:
Here is a ground with two different names. While Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike calls it Vyalikaval Playground, local residents call it a garbage dumping yard.

Here is a ground with two different names. While Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike calls it Vyalikaval Playground, local residents call it a garbage dumping yard. The latter of course seems more appropriate, as large parts of the ground are covered by waste and one can hardly spot children playing here.

For years, the ground was a practising space for many football players, including former Indian football captain Iliyas Raja, national level players Babu Mani and J D’silva. One of the oldest sports clubs in Bangalore City — Vinayaka Football Club — was started here. Many of the national level kabaddi talents have also spent their early days here.

The late Jeevaraj Alva conducted the national Kabaddi championship on the ground in 1986 and DD telecast a Kabbadi tournament live for the first time. But its glorious past has been tarnished by its tattered present.
Four years ago, the Palike decided to improve the ground’s basic infrastructure at a cost of Rs 80 lakh. They even released the first installment of Rs 40 lakh for the construction of the compound wall in 2004, after which it was stopped without any official reason.

No result
Former minister Leeladevi R Prasad, who stays near the ground, said her personal efforts for the early completion of the work has yielded no results despite having met the Palike Commissioner and the engineers concerned.
The Palike has also constructed a Nirmala Shouchalaya in the ground for the public. However even after three years it is yet to be opened to them. “If the public are not allowed to use it, why should the Palike build it?” she asked.

But it is the sports persons who are the worst hit due the delay. In the guise of improving facilities in the ground, the Palike covered the kabaddi field with mud and soil, much to the chagrin of the kabaddi players. Shashipriya, kabaddi player and BSNL employee, took serious exception and said “The ground has produced hundreds of players, but for the last three years they have no place to practice. The Palike should realise that it has killed many talents,” he said.

Mallegowda, member of the executive committee, Bangalore District Football Association, echoed his sentiments and added that sports lovers and residents of the locality will fight to safeguard the playground. Sameer, who plays football for the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), played football for 19 years on the ground but now has to go to Indiranagar to practice. “The ground resembles a graveyard ”, he said.

Official talk
BBMP East Zone Joint Commissioner N S Nagaraj admitted that works had been delayed for a long time. The tender process has been completed and works will start soon, he added.