Say indoor facility at Navelim will be shut for three days
Sports persons up in arms over government’s decision to lease out Manohar Parrikar indoor stadium, Navelim for a wedding.
Photo Credits: Santosh Mirajkar
MARGAO
Sports Minister Govind Gawde is again in the eye of a storm after the Sports department decision to lease out the Manohar Parrikar indoor stadium at Navelim for weddings by shutting the facility has triggered a huge controversy.
In fact, sports lovers directed their ire at the Sports Minister, blaming him for giving the indoor stadium for a wedding on August 24 by overruling the decision of the Executive Sports Director. A sport lover remarked that the Sports Minister should not be a butcher, but a proper Sports Minister to take sports forward in the state.
In fact, sports persons and athletes availing sports facilities at the Indoor stadium are up in arms over the government’s decision, point blank conveying to the Sports department that stadiums are not meant for weddings and other exhibitions.
A wedding ceremony is scheduled at the Indoor stadium on August 24, with the sports persons claiming that the indoor sports facility will be shut for three days. They pointed out that a similar row had erupted over a years ago when the Manohar Parrikar indoor stadium was leased out for furniture exhibitions.
Veteran sports person Cancio Mascarenhas said the Manohar Parrikar indoor stadium plays host to lot of sports activities, including badminton, basketball etc. “The facilities at the indoor stadium brings old sports veterans, including national and international players to come and practice. We have come to know there’s a wedding scheduled at the stadium on August 24 and the stadium will be shut for three days. The government should remember that this is an indoor stadium and not a wedding venue”, he said.
He added: “We hope better sense prevails and the government stops hosting other events inside the indoor stadium. We cannot have weddings or any other activities at the stadium other than sports. Last year, they had leased out the indoor stadium for a furniture exhibition’, he said.
Fearing that the state of the Parrikar indoor stadium will be like the old Fatorda stadium for want of upkeep, Cancio made a fervent plea to the Sports Minister to restrict the activities at the indoor stadium to sports.
Another visibly agitated sports person pointed out that the Navelim indoor stadium is not the Parrikar wedding hall, but a stadium for sporting activities. “If the government respects the late Chief Minister, please don’t abuse him by holding such things at the indoor stadium named after Parrikar. The government has destroyed the Fatorda stadium. Our Sport Minister should not be a butcher but a proper sports Minister”, he added.
A sports lover claimed that the Executive Sports Director had initially refused permission for the proposed wedding on August 24, but his objection was overruled by the Sports Minister Govind Gawde. “We want to make clear we are not against the wedding, but being an indoor stadium, non-sporting events should have no place at the stadium.
