Athletes locked out for 4 days: Haryana CM's helicopter parked on Gurugram running track

Gurugram: State-level athletes training at the Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Gurugram faced a frustrating interruption as access to the synthetic running track was blocked for four consecutive days. According to reports by The Times of India, the disruption occurred because an official Airbus H145 helicopter belonging to Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was parked directly on the grounds. Hundreds of athletes who rely on the facility as their primary training ground found themselves locked out, raising serious concerns regarding the prioritisation of public sports infrastructure for VIP transport. The track was finally cleared and reopened on Wednesday after the aircraft took off for Chandigarh.

Technical Snag and Official Explanation

The unexpected prolonged parking of the chopper sparked widespread debate across social media after the closure went viral online. Addressing the mounting criticism, Chief Minister’s media adviser Rajiv Jaitley clarified to TOI that the aircraft was not stationed as a standby measure but was forced to remain grounded due to an unexpected technical snag following the Chief Minister's return from a three-day official tour to Singapore. While official flights typically depart within half an hour of landing, the technical failure necessitated extended ground maintenance, temporarily transforming the sporting arena into an impromptu helipad.

Recurring Infrastructure Frustrations for Athletes

Local sports enthusiasts and regular users noted that utilising the stadium grounds for official helicopter landings is a recurring issue, with disruptions occurring periodically throughout the year. Athletes and coaches expressed dismay that despite Haryana's stellar reputation as a sporting powerhouse, exemplified by state athletes securing 45 medals, including 14 golds across disciplines like kabaddi, wrestling, boxing, and shooting at recent international competitions, local training facilities remain vulnerable to administrative interruptions. The incident has renewed calls from sports circles for the establishment of designated permanent helipads in Gurugram to safeguard public training spaces from logistical conflicts.