Joypurhat Correspondent
The renovation work of Joypurhat Stadium has been going on for a long time. Even though the stipulated time has passed, the work has not been completed due to the negligence and indifference of the contractor. Due to this, all types of sports and practice have been stopped at this stadium for almost 8 months. This is why, the players are forced to practice including sports in other small fields. They are in trouble due to not being able to practice properly. Players and sports lovers demand that the stadium work be completed quickly. The district administration has said that it will take immediate action in this regard.
It is learnt Joypurhat Stadium was built on 4 acres of land in Rupnagar area of ​​Joypurhat town in 1977. In the 2024-2025 financial year, the National Sports Council has allocated Tk 20 lakh for the renovation work of the stadium field, pavilion, and small-seat gallery. HafsaTrade International of Dhaka was formally appointed as contractor. The contractor was supposed to complete the renovation work and hand over the stadium along with the field within 4 months. But the work has not been completed in almost 8 months, so the field is in a state of disrepair. Practically it remains nonfunctional.
As the renovation work of the field has not been completed for a long time, the players have to go to other small fields to practice or play. Due to this, the players are losing interest in sports due to various problems. Recently, there were allegations that the contractor was renovating the field with low-quality soil. Later, the low-quality soil was removed due to the obstruction of the administration.
Current and former players say that although many talented players once contributed to the national level from here, this only sports field in the district has now fallen into disrepair due to the lack of a field. Hence, they have expressed anger and disappointment about this.
Shantana Akhter, a female cricketer from Shanta area of ​​Akkelpur upazila, said, “I will play in under-18 division team. For this, I need regular practice. But the Joypurhat stadium has been closed for 7/8 months. That’s why I can’t practice there. I practice at the Sugar Mill field One day, the other day at the Cement Factory field. There are no pitches, washrooms or dressing rooms in these fields. That’s why we are facing a lot of problems.’
Karate player Nazmul Hossain said, ‘I used to practice karate regularly at the stadium field. Currently, as the field renovation work is going on, I am practicing at the Sugar Mill field. There was supposed to be a tournament at the field last December, but it didn’t happen because the stadium was closed. Besides, I can’t practice regularly because there is no field. That’s why I am demanding that the stadium be renovated immediately.’ A player from Tajur More area, Anirban Kumar, said, ‘We used to play regularly at Joypurhat stadium. But the field is now ruined. Because of this, our sports are not happening much anymore. Many people are moving away from sports.’
Former player Taj Chowdhury said, ‘The stadium field has been kept in disrepair for 7/8 months in the name of development. I don’t know when we will understand the field. If the sports field is closed like this, then we will go far behind in the overall system of the country and our thinking. That is why I am demanding that the field be renovated quickly.’ Another former player, Abdul Wahab, said, ‘The contractor responsible for the field renovation is working in the summer. Much lower quality soil was dumped here than the soil that was supposed to be used to renovate the field. If such soil is used, the field will not last long. This is our demand that the field be renovated properly.’
Karate coach Shahjahan Ali Dewan said, ‘It was said that the stadium will be renovated in June 2024, for which we will have to practice in another field. They said that the field will be renovated within 3/4 months. We are practicing first in the cement factory field, then in the sugar mill field. Many girls learn karate for self-defense. But due to the current open field, they are facing many problems due to the lack of a good environment. Many do not come to practice. The new students who were admitted in January-February are also not coming anymore. We have brought the results from the Youth Games a few days ago. We are not able to prepare for tournaments being held in different places. Unfortunately, if this situation continues for a long time, the quality of the game is uncertain, nothing good will happen in future.
Joypurhat Sports organization office assistant Shamsul Haque said, “Current sports are not possible as the field renovation work is ongoing. It may take another 2/3 months to fully open the field. We will not be able to play sports until there is grass on the field. A few days ago, two engineers from the National Sports Council were coming, they instructed the contractor to finish the work quickly. And they gave 20 days. The contractor worked for a few days and then closed for a few days, which is why this work has been delayed.”
Contractor Tutul Hossain said, “The work was supposed to be completed by December 2024. But the work has slowed down a bit due to not getting the soil on time. There was a problem with the soil, which we had fixed. The field will be suitable for playing in a few days.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Bipul Kumar said, “We will take necessary measures to ensure that the renovation work is completed quickly. As the renovation work is underway, the sports have been shifted to our current Circuit House field. We have contacted the contractor. He has assured us that he will complete the work quickly. We hope that the beautiful playing environment will return after completing the work soon.”