Daska cricket stadium in derelict state

Sewage, weeds, structural damage plag1ue sports facility

DASKA:

The local administration and the Sports Board Punjab have seemingly failed to maintain the Nawaz Sharif Stadium in Daska, the only cricket stadium in the city.

Nearly three decades after its construction, the stadium has fallen into disrepair due to official negligence.

A local resident, Muhammad Sulman Alvi, told The Express Tribune that the Tehsil Municipal Administration (TMA) has exacerbated the situation.

"The TMA has constructed a main drainage and sewage well in the stadium, where sewage and dirty water are being discharged, turning it into a stinking swamp," he said. "All healthy activities related to sports and players have come to a halt. The standing water has destroyed the expensive grass on the ground, prepared at the cost of millions of rupees, and pits have appeared everywhere."

Alvi pointed out that overgrown bushes and weeds have given the place the look of a jungle. The diligently prepared pitch has also deteriorated. "Due to the lack of basic facilities, the cricket stadium was already abandoned for cricket and other sports," he added.

Tehsil Sports Officer Rana Shahid expressed his frustration regarding the municipality's encroachment on the stadium grounds.

"The main gates of the stadium have been taken over by the municipality, which has constructed offices in the parking lot, occupying the space. The main passageway gates have been permanently locked and welded shut, compromising the stadium's privacy," he lamented.

"We don't have any room for players to stay and change clothes. Players' cars and motorcycles are parked outside the stadium."

Adding to the stadium's woes, snakes have infested the open sewage, while equipment like rollers, screens, and tug boxes rusting due to stagnant water.

"Under these conditions, who will come to the stadium? Our only option now is to relocate it elsewhere," Shahid said.

“Cracks have appeared on all the walls, ceilings, and seating areas, further illustrating governmental negligence. The dirty and overflowing toilets have lost their doors and windows, with no proper arrangement for cleaning.”

The sports officer also pointed out that the municipality of Daska has set up its offices in the rooms of the stadium. “Valuable items purchased with public taxes are submerged in the sewage water filling the municipality's offices.”

In response, Daska Assistant Commissioner Anwar Ali Kanju noted that measures had been taken to stop sewage water from entering the stadium.

Despite the stadium currently being waterlogged due to recent rainfall, Kanju announced plans to develop new sports facilities and grounds for players.

A local lawyer, Ali Raza Syed, shared his childhood memories associated with the stadium. "Seeing the dilapidated condition of the stadium now makes me very sad. Due to the lack of playing space, a generational gap has emerged."

Furthermore, stray dogs, donkeys and livestock often graze on the stadium grounds. There is no other ground available in the entire city for important sports like football and hockey. The stadium now charges a fee for youth to play, leading them to prefer indoor games.

Some of the best hockey players came from Daska, but now the sport and football are almost extinct in the area. Another citizen, Rana Ahmad Siddique, said, “I used to wake up at 4:00 in the morning without an alarm, eager to head to the stadium.”

Local Government Minister Mian Zeeshan Rafiq’s Political Secretary Syed Dawood Shah said a state-of-the-art sports complex has been approved for Daska.