A wave of happiness swept through the athletes in West Singhbhum (Chaibasa) as the Singhbhum Sports Association ground was reopened. The administration’s decision to remove the seal on Wednesday allowed players to return to their training sessions.
On Tuesday, the Deputy Commissioner Chandan Kumar ordered the sealing of the ground, revoking all its approvals with immediate effect under the National Sports Development Code of India 2011. The officials present during the action included Sub-Divisional Officer Sandeep Anurag Toppo, Sub-Divisional Police Officer Bahaman Tuti, Circle Officer Upendra Kumar, and Sports Officer Harsh Kumar.
Players found the gate locked and sealed when they arrived for their regular practice on Wednesday morning. The situation triggered an outcry, as they had no other practice ground in the city. They felt that the association’s office should have been sealed instead of the entire ground. Several athletes also mentioned that they were preparing for the upcoming Home Guard recruitment on the same ground.
The news reached Singhbhum Sports Association General Secretary and former MLA Mithilesh Kumar Thakur, who promptly contacted the concerned officials. He empathized with the players’ situation and immediately spoke to the Deputy Commissioner to request the ground’s reopening.
Subsequently, the Deputy Commissioner instructed the Sub-Divisional Officer to unlock the ground. Within a short time, the ground was accessible to the players. The Sub-Divisional Officer informed that a meeting is scheduled for June 14 to discuss the matters concerning the ground.