NEW DELHI: Football Delhi is seeking permission from the the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) to manage and run Ambedkar Stadium on a lease of ‘at least 20 years’.
Football Delhi president Shaji Prabhakaran has written to the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), requesting them to handover the Ambedkar Stadium on a lease of ‘at least 20 years.’
If granted the lease, Football Delhi has promised it will invest up to Rs 20 million in the first two-three years to refurbish the stadium, Indian Express reports. Among other things, the local governing body has said they will redevelop the turf as per international standards, revamp the dressing rooms and spectator galleries and install bucket seats in the entire stadium by 2020.
The Ambedkar Stadium, once the hub of football in the capital, is in a sorry state currently. “There’s a lot of history attached to this stadium. It is the site of some famous India triumphs. We hope to upgrade the stadium and bring it on par with international standards. We have written to the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, who own the stadium, and are hopeful to receive their support,” Football Delhi president Shaji Prabhakaran told the daily.
Under the proposal, the stadium would be reserved for 25 days in a year for MCD activities, as per pre-decided dates. For rest of the year, it will be used only for football. One of the key objectives, as per the document, is to “organize around-the-year football activities using the stadium and attract international football events to further develop football in Delhi.”
Football Delhi has also made an ambitious claim that they will be “able to bring more than Rs 500 million investment through a corporate partnership”.
