Bryan Adams stole the thunder at the final leg of his India tour with a Tuesday blitz at the Bambolim Athletic Stadium. Around 11,000 concert lovers and fans of Bryan Adams swarmed the stadium and revelled as the famed international star belted popular numbers. The show was a huge success, going by the audience at the venue. However, a day after the show, the stadium mostly used for athletic events and football practice matches of senior players including FG Goa, cut out a sorry picture.
The heavy setup for the concert, including extensive sound systems and large stage setups, has left the stadium's grass pitch and the track damaged.
The Sports Department in recent times have been letting out premises of sports complexes to host non-sporting events -- from exhibitions, fairs, events and even private weddings. There has been a hue and cry from sports enthusiasts and sportspersons about such a trend because it is not only disrespectful to the fraternity but also grossly unfair to those putting in their best towards making a sport their career. If we may recall, the Manohar Parrikar indoor stadium at Navelim was given out for a wedding, and a day later, photos went viral of how the equipment was being dragged on the sensitive badminton flooring.
Stadiums, including indoor facilities, are primarily meant for sports. If we may recall, the Sports Department blames it on sustainability and the need to meet maintenance expenditures. We beg to differ here, because raising sports infrastructure on which maintenance cost is an issue, defeats the very idea. Traditionally, sports venues are designed to accommodate sports, with an emphasis on nurturing athletes to perform to the best of their capabilities.
The crux of the issue lies in the balance between promoting cultural or other events and preserving sports infrastructure. Goa does not have a dearth of spaces for events and concerts. Then why exploit sports spaces? For a moment, even if there were compelling reasons known to the department, where were the checks and balances? Why make the stadium a free-for-all? There was visible damage to the play area, the washrooms were left in a pathetic condition and there were holes dug into the ground for fitting of equipment. Who checks this? Do we know the dos and don'ts of similar concerts followed elsewhere?
The counterargument could be that such mega-shows help Goa's tourism and bring more value beyond the immediate enjoyment they offer. Nonetheless, this should not come at the expense of damaging facilities vital for nurturing talent in sports. Unlike concerts, which provide ephemeral enjoyment, sports facilities serve as long-term assets that contribute to state and national pride, fostering not only athletic prowess but also active and healthy lifestyles among citizens, a factor that has been stressed by those in the government, including the sports minister. We can't allow the fleeting thrill of a concert to overshadow the inherent value of our sports venues.
The State government and sports authorities must establish clear guidelines to ensure that events do not jeopardize the integrity of sports facilities. It would be a crying shame if there is an argument that Goans show interest in sports facilities. It's a shame because the inherent failure in the system would be exposed. Probably, one of the reasons why Goa is failing to produce nationally competing athletes and sportspersons is because somewhere there is no genuine effort to give sports that push. And probably, which is why, the State will have to rely on more and more outstation players to represent Goa.
