International night matches at Guru Nanak Stadium soon to be reality

The Guru Nanak Stadium in Ludhiana will soon be able to host night international matches as a project, worth Rs 4 crore, for major upgrades in the lighting system is soon going to become a reality. The Municipal Corporation has cleared the tender and work orders are expected to be alloted within the next few days.

The stadium already had floodlights, but these were not strong enough to ensure night matches could be organised at the venue. An upgrade in the poor lighting system was the need of the hour due to the same.

The sports fraternity has been on cloud nine after hearing the news. A senior athletics coach said the installation of advanced floodlights at the stadium would give a major boost to sports activities in the city. Not only will it help the sports authorities to hold night matches, the players, too, will get extra time for practice during after dark.

Confirming the news to The Tribune, Municipal Commissioner Aaditya Dachalwal said the project to install advanced high level LED lights would soon be a reality and the work is expected to start soon. Once the lights are installed, the stadium will be capable of holding international matches, he said.

The Commissioner also said that the MC had already been doing a lot to boost sports infrastructure in the city. An international-level basketball court, to come up at a cost of Rs 11.36 crore, is part of the Ludhiana Smart City Mission. It is about to be completed soon and once completed, two simultaneous matches could be organised at the court and players. Another project is the upcoming state-of-the-art swimming pool being developed by the MC. The all-weather pool will cater to a wider audience, offering an enhanced recreational space for people of all ages. The estimated cost of the project is around Rs 6 crore. With its design, accommodating swimmers in both summer and winter, the pool will be a valuable addition to Ludhiana’s recreational infrastructure. The upgrade of athletics track by the MC has already proven beneficial for athletes in the city, he said.

Dachalwal also said that international-level training was already being offered by professional coaches at a table tennis academy and a shooting range that had been built by the MC in the city.

Need for advanced floodlights

A few months back, Guru Nanak Stadium had an opportunity to host an international football match but the opportunity was missed, with authorities citing inadequate facilities, particularly lighting, as the primary reason. This setback had actually prompted the Ludhiana Municipal Corporation (MC) to fast-track plans for significant upgrades, including the installation of new floodlights, to ensure the stadium ready for future international events.

MC officials acknowledged that the lack of proper lighting arrangements prevented the scheduling of international football matches at the venue. The upgrade project includes installing powerful floodlights at all four corners of the stadium. These lights, with an estimated capacity of 3,200 kilowatts, are projected to cost around Rs 4 crore.

Ludhiana