Athletes denied practice as Haryana CM's helicopter parks in Gurgaon stadium

Dubai: Athletes training at Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Gurgaon were forced to miss regular practice for four days after Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini’s official helicopter was parked on the stadium ground.

The athletes regained access to the athletics track on Wednesday after the helicopter took Saini back to Chandigarh following his three-day Singapore visit.

The incident has renewed concerns among athletes and coaches about the repeated use of the sports facility for VIP helicopter operations. Athletes said the helicopter is parked at the stadium for a day or two nearly every month.

While other facilities, including the basketball and volleyball courts, remain accessible, security protocols require the inner synthetic ground and running track to be closed when the helicopter is parked there.

“For athletes training continuously for competitions, even losing one or two days of practice is a significant loss,” an athlete who trains at the stadium told according to The Times of India.

A parent said children travelling from different parts of Gurgaon were frustrated after reaching the stadium only to find the track closed. A coach also called for a separate location to be identified for helicopter parking.

The report also claimed that the officials said the stadium, a government sports facility under the Gurgaon Metropolitan Development Authority, remains a convenient option because Gurgaon does not have a state or civil aviation ministry helipad. Parking the helicopter in Delhi would also involve charges.

The Haryana government had allocated 25 acres in Global City in 2022 for an integrated heli hub, but construction has yet to begin. Another report also suggested that the Haryana CM parks his helicopter at the stadium for a day or two nearly every month.

Saini’s media adviser Rajeev Jaitly said the helicopter remained at the stadium because of a machinery glitch and was not being kept there as a standby measure.