On October 26 and 27, singer Diljit Dosanjh brought his Dil-Luminati tour to a sold-out crowd at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. But the event left more than just memories – it left the stadium in complete disarray.
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Spoiled food, alcohol bottles, and litter blanketed the stadium’s running tracks, while athletes who regularly use the venue were left with broken practice equipment and debris scattered across the grounds. The question arises – why is a premier sports venue treated this way?
Former youth Asian gold medalist Beant Singh’s took to social media to express his frustration and share his thoughts. Sharing a video of the state of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi, Singh said:
“This is the status of sports, sportspersons, and stadiums in India. Athletes practice here, but people drink alcohol and hold music events here, keeping the stadium closed for ten days at a time. The equipment and practice gear of athletes have been broken and thrown around.”
Have a look at the video here:
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In a few pictures that were shared on X, athletes were even seen cleaning up the mess left by Diljit Dosanjh’s concertgoers. Vehicles drove across the track, and on October 28, cleanup workers reportedly used hard-bristled brooms that damaged the sensitive synthetic track surface of the stadium, reported News18. Cycle rickshaws carrying heavy loads only worsened the wear and tear, leading to serious concerns over whether the track would be fit for competitions.
Athletes cleaning up trash from long jump pit , alcohol bottles, rotting food strewn around on track. Vehicles driving on the track. State of JLN stadium post Diljeet Dosanjh concert is just disgusting. Who would want to be an athlete in this country? pic.twitter.com/v1Rm2H364E
— jonathan selvaraj (@jon_selvaraj) October 28, 2024
The Sports Authority of India claims organizers agreed to return the stadium to its original state, promising a cleanup within 24 hours. However, the state of the track now raises doubts about the effectiveness of this “cleanup”.
Stadium authorities need to address the question on everyone’s mind – why isn’t more care taken to protect our sports venues?