Special Correspondent
NEW DELHI
A six-court squash facility was inaugurated by the Union External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, in the presence of the Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, at the Dhyan Chand National Stadium here on Wednesday.
“There is no age limit for sports. You all can play squash,” said Dr. Jaishankar, addressing a big gathering of sportspersons and coaches, quoting his example of having started with the game when he was 24.
Competitive mindset
“I have been playing squash for the last 44 years,” said Dr. Jaishankar, emphasising that sports had the unique ability of developing a competitive mindset.
The Sports Minister assured that the ₹5-crore facility, built in less than two years time, will also have tournaments so as to develop the game further among the youth.
Stressing that more facilities would mean opportunities for more players, the Sports Minister said the focus was to strengthen Indian sports in every possible way.
With change rooms, toilets, spectator gallery and office space, the squash arena is a compact self-sufficient facility that adds to the other games at the vast and historic venue, which hosted the inaugural Asian Games in 1951.
Other sports
Hockey, swimming, tennis and kabaddi are the other games at the venue near India Gate. The place used to develop many cricket players of international quality under the able guidance of Dronacharya awardee Gurcharan Singh and later M.P. Singh, but has ceased to be a cricket centre for some time.
“My satisfaction would be to come and see others playing on these courts,” said Dr. Jaishankar, who had originally visualised the idea of having a squash facility for everyone in the heart of Delhi.
The Sports Minister jumped on the idea and made it a reality in quick time. There is a distinct possibility that the place could soon run a squash academy.
