PAU’s astroturf to dress up in blue & pink

Amrita Chaudhry

Punjab Agricultural University’s (PAU) Olympian Prithpal Singh Hockey Stadium is set to deck up in blue and pink — the astroturf, which has been crying out for repairs and a makeover, is finally getting ready for a facelift. It will shed its green cover for a trendy blue and pink turf resembling the ones coming up in London, which is preparing for the 2012 Olympics.

“This turf is the first of its kind in the country. We have distributed work among four companies to repair six stadiums across the country. This stadium at PAU is being readied for the four-nation hockey tournament, which will begin on September 22. India, Pakistan, New Zealand and Argentina will participate in the meet. The stadium will be ready by August 30,” said Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

The state government will spend around Rs 3.70 crore on renovating the stadium, which involves works like creating canopies for the existing seats, creating three more stairs for seats, renovation of the toilet block, installing floodlights and setting up the new astroturf. The floodlights will be installed by General Electricals, said a source.

The astroturf was laid in PAU way back in 2001 at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore. However, due to lack of funds, it had been in dire need of repairs. In 2003, the then PAU vice-chancellor Dr Kirpal Singh Aulakh decided to name the stadium after Olympian Prithiapl Singh, who was shot dead in May 1988 owing to student groupism. At the time of his murder, Singh was the director of PAU students’ welfare body.

He was adjudged the best world fullback in the 1964 Olympics held in Rome and had represented India in three Olympics. In the 1968 Olympics held in Mexico, Singh captained the Indian hockey team and was the top scorer in all the Olympics in which he participated. He was known as the world’s best short corner specialist.