The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Synthetic track for Golconda Artillery Centre soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, May 03, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Synthetic track for Golconda Artillery Centre soon

V. V. Subrahmanyam

The unique venture costing Rs.2.5 crores will also facilitate commando and other specialised training programmes for defence personnel

HYDERABAD: The Artillery Centre of Golconda will soon be equipped with a synthetic track covering 28,000 square feet for the obstacle course to be used during the World Military Games in October this year. The track will not be a straight stretch but will have at least eight bends.

In a chat with The Hindu , Anil Kumar, director of FieldTurf Tarkett, said the unique venture costing Rs.2.5 crores will also facilitate commando and other specialised training programmes for defence personnel besides allowing sporting events. Interestingly, this entire project is spread over an area of 70,000 square feet. The track will not be useful for any athletic events as the design is completely different and is modelled on the one used in the last edition of the Austria Military Games. The same firm was also involved in the laying artificial football turf (grass) in Goa. The best part of this state-of-the-art Le Monde track system is so designed and approved by the International Amateur Athletic Federation that it will provide a perfect blend of energy restitution and energy absorption. "We are hoping to complete the work three months ahead of the Games," asserts Anil Kumar. There are some structures coming up to take care of the seating accommodation. "Though landscaping is not the in our contract, we are taking care of this in a general way in view of the significance of the Games," he said. The World Military Games, said to be the second biggest after the Olympics, are expected to see athletes from 130 countries compete for top honours. The other interesting aspect is that the rules of the Games do not permit spiked shoes but the firm is laying the track, which can also adjust to them once the Games are over, it is said. "We feel that Le Monde is absolutely unequalled among all track surfacing products on the market in terms of performance and safety," says FieldTurf Tarkett CEO John Gilman in a statement.

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