Towards the end of January this year, the State Sports Directorate put up two notice boards in the tennis complex, announcing that the courts would remain close up to March 31 due to progress of work for synthetic surface. But from the second week of February till date the only the progress the authorities could make was dig out existing concrete base and construct a new one. The process of laying the synthetic surface is yet to start and no body knows when the work will be completed.
``When can we resume our practice in the new courts,’’ is the common question youngsters ask their coaches every day.
``We were fine with the old hard courts. But due to closure of the courts we have not been able to do our regular practice for past three and half months. Without regular practice we are unable to play tournaments,’’ lamented Komal Vishakha, an AITA junior circuit player.
``This is summer vacation time and school children are turning up everyday to learn tennis. But due to lack of courts we are unable to accept new players. On the other hand, there has been an alarming reduction of regular players,`` said Lalit Dash, one of the four voluntary coaches grooming young tennis players at Kalinga Stadium.
The remaining two hard courts are just not able to meet the needs of more than 100 players. ``For a 30-minute practice session, I have to wait for more than two hours. It is frustrating,`` said Gaurav, a college student.
It is not only the inordinate delay, but the entire project, estimated to cost Rs 32 lakhs, has drawn flak because of flaws in the modus operandi. To begin with the Sports Department made mistake at the planning level itself. Since constructing synthetic tennis courts is a long-time investment, the authorities should have involved professionals for its execution.
But they constituted a committee with people having less or no idea about synthetic surface. The project was entrusted to Public Works Department, which had no prior experience in the field. It is ridiculous that work was started on the basis of information available in internet.
It is alleged that the executing agency committed a big mistake by building a concrete base. ``Everywhere, synthetic surfaces are laid on asphalt base. I suggested the Sports Directorate to go for asphalt. But they said they have found it from internet that concrete base would be ideal here,`` revealed professional tennis coach Subhranshu Charan Sarangi, who has vast experience in construction of synthetic courts.
Though the project work commenced in the second week of February, tender advertisement for synthetic surface was published only on May 15. According to inside sources, one of the reasons for the delay was that the administrative approval for the purpose could not be given because the Sports Director was on leave.
When contacted a top-level Sports Directorate official blamed everybody for the delay. While admitting that information regarding the project was downloaded from internet, he claimed that opinion from experts was taken regarding the type of the base.
``I consulted former Davis Cupper Akhtar Ali and experts from DLTA (Delhi). They said asphalt base would not suit the hot weather condition in Bhubaneswar. It may melt and damage the synthetic surface,`` disclosed the official, who did not want to be named.
Regarding completion of the project, the official said: ``Tender process for synthetic surface has already started and it is expected to be completed by the first week of June. Laying of the surface would take three weeks and we are hopeful that the courts would be ready for use by the end of June.``
He, however, made it clear that laying of the artificial surface would depend a lot on weather condition. ``In case of rain the work may be delayed further,’’ he pointed out.
PWD Executive Engineer P C Nayak, the man in-charge of the project, however, defended the delay, saying that government projects move slowly as they go through several procedures. ``Moreover, this was an unfamiliar project. We had to consult many people. Hence the delay,`` he asserted.
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TOP: Children wait for their turn to wield racket in an overcrowded hard court at Kalinga Stadium on May 15, 2013.
RIGHT: Notice board tells the story of inordinate delay in the construction of synthetics tennis courts.