Dhanbad authorities are all set to complete work on two different sporting infrastructure facilities, a multisports complex at the Golf Grund and a mega sports complex at Nawadih, within the next two months. This will end the prolonged wait of sports lovers, fitness freaks, yoga enthusiasts and morning walkers, for an open space to workout.

At present, around 80 per cent of the groundwork of the sports complex at the Golf Ground has been developed at the cost of around Rs 5.25 crores, while part of the first phase of this comprehensive project has already been completed at a cost of Rs 9.72 crores.

On the other hand, renovation work of the sports facility at Nawadih is being carried out at a cost of Rs 4 crores, and the process is in its last stage. This complex is likely to be opened in January.

Conceptualised by former Dhanbad mayor Chandrashekhar Agarwal, the first phase of the multisports complex will have a roller skating zone, a children playing arena, an open gymnasium and a yoga training centre.The Dhanbad Municipal Corporation along with a private contractor M/s Pratap and Developers is carrying out the project. On the other hand, a football ground, a basketball court and a hockey stadium are to be developed in the second phase of the project.

Talking to The Telegraph Online on Tuesday, Shamsher Singh, a representative of the contractor, said, “We have completed the laying of the jogging track, epimedium laying work, boundary wall repair work, and urinal, toilets and complex construction work, while the remaining work of installation of equipments in the children playing arena would be carried out tomorrow (Wednesday).”

Randhir Verma Stadium, to be used as a multisports complex, at Golf Ground in Dhanbad, on Tuesday. Picture by Gautam Dey

The 12-acre stadium, situated less than 500 meters away from the residence of the Senior Superintendent of Police, Dhanbad, was used as a golf course by British officers in the pre-independence era. Later, during the late sixties, it was developed into a shooting range for police and other armed forces of the government.

Shooting practice in the ground was stopped in the late seventies due to an increase in population, thereby giving way to morning walkers and football players to use it for their purposes during the eighties.

Following the death of Dhanbad SP Randhir Prasad Verma in 1991, the district administration developed a boundary wall around the ground, and renamed it as the Randhir Prasad Verma Stadium. A pavilion and seating area was developed around it in 2001, which was funded by former MP and the SP’s wife Rita Verma.

Several local football tournaments including the Randhir Prasad Verma Memorial Football Tournament were organised in the ground periodically by the Dhanbad Football Association. However, it could never be used as a full fledged football field due to the ground’s uneven nature.

Regarding the renovation work of the Nawadih sports complex carried out by the building construction department, contractor Santosh Singh said, “Just the repair work of the boundary wall, pavilion and lighting arrangement amounted to Rs 4 crore.” He added that due to the lack of a wall previously, many thefts have occurred in the area.