MHA starts ground work for laying new turf

MUMBAI: The ground work for replacing the worn-out turf at the Mumbai Hockey Association’s Mahindra Stadium has commenced and the laying of the new surface is scheduled to be completed by the middle of next month.

“We have started the work of removing the old turf, cleaning the gutters and revamping the dressing rooms. The new turf – Polygras Olympia 2008 – similar to the one used in the Beijing Olympics, the 2006 Qatar Asian Games and to be used at the 2012 London Games – would arrive in couple of weeks,” MHA sources said on Saturday.

MHA officials are confident that the entire process of laying the new artificial surface and renovating the dressing rooms would be completed well in time before the commencement of the World Series Hockey League on December 15.

“The new turf would be ready by the middle of November”, the sources said.

Mumbai is one of the venues earmarked for holding the matches in the $2 million tournament which would feature eight city-based franchise outfits and has attracted several top foreign players, apart from Indians.

The tournament is to feature 176 players and 61 matches to be played on a home and away basis leading up to the play-off among the top four finishers (two semifinals) and a best-of-three finals.

Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi, Punjab, Chennai and Hyderabad have already been chosen as centres to hold matches while two more from among Pune, Bhopal, Ranchi, Kolkata, Lucknow, Rourkela and Manipur would be selected later.

The tournament is a joint initiative of Nimbus Sports and the Indian Hockey Federation.