Haryana Bhim Stadium Bhiwani Gets Rs 50 Crore Upgrade MP Thanks CM Saini
Bhiwani, the town famous as Mini Cuba for its boxing champions, is set for a major sports upgrade. Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has approved Rs 50 crore for modernising Bhim Stadium in Bhiwani, and on 2 November Member of Parliament Chaudhary Dharmbir Singh publicly thanked the Chief Minister for the grant while pressing for a Boxing Excellence Centre at the stadium.
The Rs 50 crore approval was announced by Saini at the state-level felicitation ceremony for Asian Games and Para Asian Games achievers held at Bhim Stadium on 30 October, where the state honoured its medal-winning athletes. Saini said world-class performances need world-class facilities, and pointed to Haryana’s sports investment over the past twelve years — about Rs 1100 crore on sports infrastructure, with the sports department’s budget rising from Rs 163 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 668.42 crore.
The state has also set up the A-STAR advanced scientific training and rehabilitation centre at the Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula at a cost of about Rs 10 crore to help athletes recover from injuries and improve performance. At the Bhiwani ceremony the Chief Minister distributed Rs 189.3 crore in cash awards to athletes, and the government says 260 outstanding sportspersons have already been appointed to Group A, B and C government posts under its sports policy.
Dharmbir Singh said he had earlier submitted a Rs 69.15 crore estimate for the stadium covering a pavilion at Rs 20 crore, a multipurpose hall at Rs 35 crore, a swimming pool at Rs 2.15 crore, sewerage and water works at Rs 2 crore, equipment and furniture at Rs 5 crore, and repair, maintenance and electricity work at Rs 5 crore, and that the Chief Minister approved Rs 50 crore as a lump sum. He has also written to the central sports and health authorities seeking an injury treatment centre for players, and has demanded a Boxing Excellence Centre so that Bhiwani’s boxing tradition gets a dedicated modern facility.
