The Hindu : Sport / Tennis : DLTA to be a world-class facility

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Tuesday, Jan 22, 2008
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DLTA to be a world-class facility

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Delhi tennis players — from Sumant Mishra (the first national grasscourt champion) to the current crop of youngsters — who had won the National Games men’s and women’s titles, along with coaches and other officials, participated in the foundation stone laying ceremony for restructuring the DLTA Complex to a world-class facility for the Commonwealth Games to be held in 2010.

In a brief function in which the ceremonial lamp was lit and the symbolic stone laid, the secretary-general of the All India Tennis Association (AITA), Anil Khanna, assured that the infrastructure would be upgraded to such an extent that it would be eligible to host an ATP Tour Masters series event.

“We will have two show courts and it will be the first tennis facility in the country to have such a feature,” said Khanna, who addressed the media along with the architect Gaurav Lakhanpal at the R.K. Khanna Stadium here on Monday.

Work begins mid-Feb

It was announced that work would start in a systematic fashion on February 18, after the Davis Cup tie against Uzbekistan, so that the DLTA Complex would continue with its activities of hosting national and international level tournaments unhindered through the next two seasons.

In a major decision, the centre-court would do away with the grass court and will only have the synthetic court. There will be a roof to protect the spectators from harsh weather.

Yet, the ambience of the stadium in its natural setting adjacent to the deer park would be enhanced by the liberal use of grass and landscaping all around to keep the facility in sync with the surroundings.

The renovated infrastructure, at an estimated budget of Rs.30 crore, will sport a contemporary look. It will have six match courts meeting international specifications; apart from the two show courts there will be six practice courts. There will be access for the disabled in the whole arena through ramps.

There will be provision for natural water harvesting, solar lighting systems and the usage of environment friendly paints.

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