SHILLONG: Various sportspersons of the State have voiced their concern over gradual transformation of the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium into a dumping ground.
The sportspersons have expressed shock over indiscriminate dumping of beer and wine bottles and garbage all around the stadium.
“The condition of the stadium was much better when the I-League matches were being held. But after the I-League matches, the whole stadium has turned into a place for dumping of garbage,” a former State footballer told The Shillong Times here on Sunday.
A former Table Tennis player expressed relief that the team contingent of various countries who had participated in the SAF Junior Table Tennis Championship in the city did not visit the stadium.
“If they would have visited the stadium the image of the State would have been badly affected,” he said.
Meanwhile, another former State footballer questioned the authorities for not taking any step to ensure cleanliness of the stadium.
He also stated that the pathetic condition of the stadium is largely due to the lack of civic sense among the so-called ‘sports lovers’ of the State.
“It is also the duty of the general public to look after the infrastructures which has been created by the Government,” the former footballer said.
He also questioned the mentality of the local people who are not bothered about preserving and protecting the various sporting infrastructures in the State.
Presently, the Shillong Sports Association (SSA) is holding the local league matches at the artificial turf in the stadium since their own First Division ground is currently being given a face lift.
What is appalling is that the stadium, despite gener
-ating huge revenue for the government, is being left ignored.
The SSA has been asked by the Government to pay around Rs 75,000 for the whole season. Even Shillong Lajong FC was asked to pay Rs 50,000 for each match at the stadium during their home matches of the I-League.
It is also shocking that dumping of garbage is happening despite the fact that the offices of both the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs and the East Khasi Hills District Sports Officer are located inside the Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex.