National Stadium getting ready

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, OCT. 6. With the eye-catching new synthetic surface and the overhauled sprinkler system in place, National Stadium looked ready for a warm-up hockey competition.

The three-member team from the turf manufacturers Desso in Holland have been working for the last three weeks in installing the two surfaces - one at the main stadium and the other next to the grass hockey field, and adjacent to the tennis courts.

The intermittent rain has been hampering the progress of work, especially the gluing of the strips, but whatever work has been carried on, has been done with emphasis on quality.

The main ground is ready with all the markings, as well. Incidentally, all the white markings have been made as part of the turf itself with white strips, which would mean that there will not be any need for painting at any time.

Earlier, problems had been faced by players as repeated painting on the surface had led to elevated markings, on which the ball tended to bounce unevenly, which was particularly pronounced during the penalty corner drills.

``The main ground is 90 per cent finished. On one side we have not finished the last strip of pasting work, as we are waiting for the drain to be finished,'' said Jan-Willem Queckel, who has been laying the turf along with Mario Vullings and Tony van Nuland.

At the outside ground, the turf was being allowed to dry for a day before starting the gluing work. The experts were happy with the preparation of the base, which allows water to drain on to the four sides.

The life of the turf, expected to last for about 10 years, would depend on the maintenance. To that end, there will be fencing around the turf at the outside ground to ensure its longevity. There will also be cleaning machines for regular maintenance.

There will be an eight-feet high fencing behind the goal area, and five-feet high fencing for the rest of the area, at the second turf.

However, there are no plans to have a fence in the main stadium. The regulars at the National Stadium, who have seen the earlier turf being spoilt, feel that a fence would double the life of the turf.

``In Holland, we have three-feet high fence around the turf, and we have hard wooden boards about one-foot high at the bottom of the fence to ensure that the ball stays inside the area. If you don't have the wooden boards, the fence will break within a few days, and the ball will fly all over the place,'' said Quekel.

The view from the gallery will not be affected with the minimum fencing at the main ground. Otherwise, there is a fear that the grass field and the mud around may be brought on to the turf whenever players run out to retrieve the balls during training sessions.

Talking about the view from the gallery, the playing area has not been moved much towards the main stands. The hockey fans will continue to strain their eyes to enjoy the action from a distance.

The demand of fencing around the main turf apart, the second synthetic ground requires change-room facilities. In fact, there are no concrete plans for a gallery. A minimum possible spectator stands with toilet facilities will make the second ground, which is not a practice-ground but a full-sized field, self-sufficient.

Quite thoughtfully, the water tanks for the two grounds have been inter-connected. Thus, if one system fails, the other is expected to take over the job.

The turf work is expected to be completed in another 10 days or so, depending on the weather.

With the Afro-Asian Games put off indefinitely, the authorities will have ample time on their hands to plan things a lot better and make a professional job of it all, rather than be happy with half-baked work.

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