Oval track layout with base markers and fresh ground at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. (PTI Photo) New Delhi’s Jawahar Lal Nehru Stadium is set to undergo a major makeover. The iconic structure will be transformed into a comprehensive 102-acre sports city that will include facilities for various sports disciplines and accommodation for athletes.The project is currently in the design phase. A timeline and budget details have yet to be determined.“The stadium will be dismantled. All offices inside the stadium, including the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA), the National Drug Testing Laboratory (NDTL) and the Income Tax Department will be relocated once the project takes off,” revealed a source in the sports ministry.“Currently, the more than 100 acres of land it occupies is not being used to its optimum level. The Sports City will ensure that we have facilities for major disciplines, training facilities, accommodation for the athletes when they compete there and verticals like entertainment will be covered.”The stadium currently houses the headquarters of the Sports Authority of India and the project office of Khelo India.Project implementation requires coordination between various ministries and departments, including the Ministry of Urban Development. Due to this complex process, an immediate launch is unlikely.“It’s an idea at this stage, but we’ll see how the feasibility study turns out. But the ministry is very serious about it,” the source said.Officials are studying sports cities in Qatar and Australia to frame the project. Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya recently visited Doha Sports City.Doha Sports City covers 617 acres and includes football, water sports and indoor sports facilities. It also includes a specialized sports medicine hospital.Australia’s Docklands Stadium in Melbourne demonstrates versatility by hosting a variety of sports including cricket, football, rugby and soccer.India’s own Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Complex in Ahmedabad is spread over 250 acres. Built at a cost of Rs 4,600 crore, it offers facilities for cricket, water sports, tennis and athletics.Ahmedabad is currently bidding for the 2036 Olympics and is expected to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games.“The JLN project will also be large in scale. This project will ensure that the existing infrastructure that was crumbling inside the JLN will be rebuilt,” the source added.The JLN Stadium was built for the Asian Games in 1982. It underwent a Rs 900 million renovation for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.The stadium recently hosted the World Para Athletics Championships. For this event, it acquired the new MONDO track, which is known for its speeds and injury prevention qualities.The venue has hosted various sporting events, including football matches and cricket ODIs. Cricket matches were suspended after 1991 due to technical reasons stated by the ICC.The stadium also serves as a venue for commercial activities, especially music concerts by national and international artists. SAI recently increased booking fees for non-sporting events. They also introduced penalties for not maintaining the state of the stadium during such events.
