CONRAD DIAS
Ranchi, March 21: The Astroturf Hockey Stadium situated at Morhabadi, Ranchi is going through a complete makeover. The renovation process is said to be completed in the coming two months.
Vijay Shankar Singh, General Secretary of Hockey Jharkhand spoke to Lagatar24.com and said that the renovation of the stadium was long overdue.
“The renovation started a month ago and it will take another two months to get completed. The complete stadium is getting renovated including the astroturf pitch. We are replacing the old astroturf with a new one,” he added.
With the stadium under renovation the players are currently practicing in a facility provided by Hockey Jharkhand.
“The Girls teams are currently practicing at Government High School, Ranchi whereas others are in Simdega where they have been provided with all the essential requirements that are needed for practice,” the General Secretary further added.
Rajneesh Kumar, CEO of Hockey Jharkhand said that the renovation budget is somewhere around Rs. 4 to 5 crores.
“The exact budget of the renovation can go up as well because of certain constructions that are going on in the stadium. However, our estimated budget is around Rs. 4 to 5 crores,” he said.
However, one of the major changes that the stadium will get post the renovation is a new name. The stadium which is popularly known as Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium is going to be renamed as ‘Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astroturf Hockey Stadium’.
The stadium currently has a seating capacity of approximately 5000 people and it can increase after the renovation. The stadium is home ground to the Jharkhand Hockey Team and the Hockey India League franchise Ranchi Rays.
