Grass imported from the US, two new full-sized practice grounds with floodlights, rooms for referees and ball boys, new gates, wider roads, even a helipad — Salt Lake stadium is in the middle of a Rs 52-crore makeover for the FIFA Under-17 World Cup that it will co-host with five other venues next year. India’s largest amphitheatre of sport aims to be ready for its biggest event at least 11 months before the September 2017 kick-off. “Construction will be completed by October, after which FIFA representatives are scheduled to carry out an inspection. That will leave us with enough time to incorporate any changes that they suggest,” sports, public works and youth services minister Aroop Biswas said after a review meeting. Metro steps into the stadium to find several new features and a few striking improvements since it was closed for renovation last January.
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The shift from AstroTurf to natural grass has cost the government Rs 5.7 crore and reports suggest that the gains have been worth the investment. The new turf has so far hosted a Mohun Bagan-East Bengal derby and Atletico de Kolkata’s home matches in the second season of the Indian Super League, all of them last year. Footballers found the surface soft, smooth and generally player-friendly.
“There was just one problem. Sometimes, grass would come off when the boots grazed the surface while kicking the ball or making a sliding tackle. But that was because the roots weren’t long enough then. The roots have penetrated deeper into the surface since then and the grass is now a carpet,” said an employee of Sports Turf and Golf Enterprises, the company contracted to maintain the ground.
