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In a bold new vision for Indian sports infrastructure, the iconic Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Stadium in New Delhi is set to be dismantled and rebuilt as a world-class Sports City, a Sports Ministry source confirmed on Monday. The ambitious project aims to transform the 102-acre complex — currently home to multiple sports and administrative offices — into a state-of-the-art hub featuring training facilities, competition arenas for multiple disciplines, and athlete accommodation. “The stadium will be dismantled. All offices inside, including NADA, NDTL, and the Income Tax department, will be relocated once the project takes off,” a ministry source revealed. The Sports City proposal, still in its preliminary stages, will require coordination between several ministries, including Urban Development. The timeline and estimated cost are yet to be finalized. “At present, the 100-acre land isn’t being used optimally. The Sports City will ensure major disciplines have hosting and training facilities, athlete lodging, and even entertainment infrastructure,” the source added. The Sports Authority of India (SAI), headquartered at JLN, will also need to relocate during redevelopment. The plan draws inspiration from global models like Doha’s Aspire Zone (Sports City), a 617-acre facility with stadiums, aquatic centers, an academy, and a sports medicine hospital, and Australia’s Docklands Stadium in Melbourne, which hosts multiple sports year-round. Closer home, Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Complex, spread over 250 acres, serves as a domestic benchmark. That project, built at a cost of ₹4,600 crore, now plays a key role in India’s bid for the 2036 Olympic Games and the 2030 Commonwealth Games. Originally built for the 1982 Asian Games and refurbished for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the JLN Stadium recently received upgrades for the World Para Athletics Championships, including a high-performance MONDO track. (with PTI inputs)
