Sports complex without power for nearly a week, disrupting athlete training, tournament preparations
GAME ON HOLD: The table tennis section at Peddem Sports Complex remained in complete darkness on Monday evening.
MAPUSA
In a glaring instance of administrative neglect, the Peddem Sports Complex in Mapusa – a designated Khelo India Centre of Excellence – has been left without power for nearly a week, crippling practice schedules and depriving budding sportspersons of access to crucial training facilities.
The sprawling complex, which serves as a lifeline for hundreds of athletes from North Goa, has been operating in complete darkness due to a major fault in its internal power system.
While outdoor spaces are barely functional, the worst hit are the indoor facilities where sports such as boxing, badminton, judo, table tennis and weightlifting are practised. With no electricity, training has come to a grinding halt, leaving both coaches and players helpless.
The swimming pool too lies unused, as the filtration system cannot function without power.
“We are left with nothing but basic stretching exercises in the open. There’s no real training possible without electricity. With major tournaments around the corner, this could destroy months of preparation,” lamented one of the coaches.
Adding to the urgency of the situation, the complex is scheduled to host All Goa level tournaments starting this weekend, while inter-school competitions are slated to begin on July 21.
The timing of the outage, therefore, could not be worse and the delay in resolution is causing widespread concern.
Electricity department sources confirmed that the problem lies with the 33 kV switching unit – a critical component that has failed and now requires full replacement.
“They’re operating under an outdated system that urgently needs upgrading,” said an official, pointing to deeper systemic issues.
Director of Sports Authority of Goa (SAG), Geeta Nagvekar, acknowledged the problem, attributing it to a short circuit that damaged an internal unit.
“We have taken up the work. It should be restored within two days,” she claimed.
Meanwhile, Aldona MLA Carlos Ferreira visited the facility on Monday evening to assess the situation first-hand.
“I saw young athletes practicing in the dark – weightlifters training without lights. It’s disgraceful. If the government is serious about promoting sports, this is not the way to do it. I will be writing to the Chief Minister to expedite restoration,” he said.
The incident has exposed severe flaws in infrastructure maintenance and crisis response at a national-level sports centre, raising critical questions about Goa’s preparedness to support its athletes – not just in word, but in actual, functioning facilities.
