The Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium in the Sarusajai Sports Complex in Guwahati. File picture

Guwahati, Feb. 13: Dispur is toying with the idea of handing over the Sarusajai Sports Complex to the Sports Authority of India (SAI) amidst an undercurrent of possible repercussion from the state’s sports fraternity.

The move, if it materialises, will gain significance in light of the fact that it will come close on the heels of the government’s decision to hand over the Tepesia Sports Complex to the Lakshmibai National University of Physical Education.

Though Dispur was tight-lipped about the move, SAI sources confirmed the development, describing it to be at an “infant stage”.

“It is at an infant stage. Union sports secretary Sindhushree Khullar visited the Sarusajai Sports Complex recently and the bureaucracy in Dispur had offered her the infrastructure for use by the SAI. However, no formal correspondence has so far been sent to Delhi,” a SAI official said.

“It is Dispur’s wish that since the infrastructure has neither been utilised nor maintained by the state government, SAI should use it to produce sportspersons for the state as well as the nation. After all, it will be for the benefit of the state,” the official added.

Those in favour of the move felt the purpose of creating the infrastructure will be served only if the SAI takes over, as it has the technical expertise, including sufficient coaches, to produce good sportspersons.

There has been negligible use of the infrastructure for sporting purposes after the 33rd National Games in 2007, for which the stadia were built at Sarusajai.

Though the state government had constituted the Sports Authority of Assam (SAA) in 2009 to use and maintain the existing infrastructure, it is almost defunct owing to lack of funds.

Apart from the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium, the Rs 149-crore 270-bigha complex comprises an athletics warm-up track along with a football turf, the Zakir Hussain Aquatics Complex, the Karmabir Nabin Chandra Bordoloi Indoor Stadium, a lawn bowl complex, a hostel and ample space for further development of more infrastructure.

The SAA has also proposed construction of a transit hostel for sportspersons of the state within the complex with financial support from the North Eastern Council.

The development comes at a time when the resentment over the proposed Tepesia handover is yet to die down. Those opposed to the Tepesia handover feel that construction of a new campus for the LNUPE’s Northeast centre at a different site, as was earlier agreed upon by the state government, would have ensured development of another set of infrastructures in and around the city.

Though chief minister Tarun Gogoi has approved of the permanent handover, the Tepesia complex memorandum of understanding is yet to be signed.

However, even before the handover, the Tepesia complex has been made almost out of bounds for sportspersons and the university has already started constructing permanent structures within the complex.

Sources in the National Games Secretariat said the signboard of the Omeo Kumar Das Indoor Stadium had disappeared and that they had to ask the university authorities to put it up again.

SAI, too, had eyed the Tepesia complex earlier, but was turned down by the state government.

Sources in the NGS said the SAI proposal was not considered because the authority had not cooperated with it in holding the National Games boxing event at SAI’s New Field complex here, even after funds of over Rs 4 lakh was released to improve the infrastructure.

The SAI was also yet to return the amount, the sources added.

The SAA has said suggestions were flowing in from various quarters to add Assam’s most sentimental tag to the Sarusajai Sports Complex, which is yet to be officially named, by naming the complex after music maestro Bhupen Hazarika. “People are asking us almost every day to name it after the Padma Vibhushan to attach pride to the prized asset of the state,” SAA director general Pradip Hazarika said.

Hazarika added that the authority was unable to execute its plans and programmes for the benefit of sports because of lack of support from Dispur.