Diljit Dosanjh Concert Trashes Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Frustrating Athletes
Diljit Dosanjh Concert Leaves Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Shambles, Frustrating Athletes
The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi, a hallowed ground for Indian athletes, has been left in a deplorable state following the two-day Diljit Dosanjh Concert Dil-Luminati. The event, which drew close to 35,000 fans each day, has left the track covered in garbage, debris, and alcohol bottles.
Former youth Asian gold medallist Beant Singh took to social media to express his frustration, sharing images of the stadium’s aftermath. “This is where athletes train but here people had alcohol and partied,” he lamented. “Athletics equipment has been broken and thrown to the side.”
The stadium’s track, which has recently been relaid, is now soaked in liquid and stained. Hurdles used by sprinters have been carelessly dumped across rooms, many of them reportedly broken.
Punjab FC, an ISL club that hosts its home matches at the stadium, has expressed concern over the damage. “There is some major patch work required, which is going on right now,” said an individual associated with the club.
The concert organizers have reportedly hired the venue until November 1, by which time all garbage and debris will be cleared. However, athletes have been unable to train in the meantime, especially those preparing for upcoming junior National Championships.
“Many of the athletes here have their junior National championships in 20-25 days but they have been unable to train in this time,” said Beant.
One anonymous athlete lamented, “People only want to take pictures with athletes after they win medals but no one really cares about whether they get to train or not.”
The clean-up crew’s use of hard brush bristled brooms to sweep the ground has raised concerns about further damage to the soft synthetic running track. Cycle rickshaws carrying heavy loads have also been seen on the track, creating indentations and uneven surfaces.
“When you cross a track with heavy loads like this, you create indentations in the track,” said one athlete. “It damages the surface and makes it uneven. JLN stadium has had its track relaid recently but it is uncertain whether how competitions can be held here if the track gets damaged like this.”
The incident has highlighted the need for better coordination between event organizers and sports authorities to ensure that sporting facilities are not compromised for non-sporting events.
