Image/ FIFA LOC The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) has a long history of deferring deadlines for projects it has initiated. However, the same civic body has fast-tracked all its projects in the past few weeks. The famous Dr D Y Patil Stadium at Nerul has transformed itself from a cricketing pitch into a football turf with an investment of Rs 25 crore. The Navi Mumbai stadium is one of the six that will host the FIFA U-17 World Cup from Friday. Interestingly, the other five stadiums have received state funds for renovation but not DY Patil as it is a private stadium.
Meanwhile, for the makeover, as many as 50,000 chairs were imported from South Korea. The seating arrangement has been streamlined to make sight lines clear for every seat. The bucket chairs are also in the FIFA guidelines. Besides, the stadium’s roof was renovated and two FIFA dressing rooms and a solar energy unit set up. To note from the above mentioned Rs 25 crore, a major portion has been spent to make the comfortable seating arrangements for football lovers. The stadium has installed 40,00 brand new chairs and remaining 5,000 are been reserved for replacement when required.
Six teams — New Zealand, Paraguay, Turkey, Mali, Colombia and USA — will play here on October 6, 9 and 12 in the league stage. The pre-quarterfinal match will be held on October 18 and the showpiece semi-final on October 25. The teams in B group will train pre-match sessions at the two grounds created on either side of the stadium, besides two others at Yashwantrao Chavan Maidan in Nerul and Navi Mumbai Sports Association ground at Vashi.
What has changed?
– New Individual Bucket Seats on stadium for all spectators
– 2 New Team Dressing Rooms
– New Safe Evacuation Gates for Spectators
– Improved facilities for Spectators
– 3 new training grounds with floodlights, dressing rooms and international standard pitch
– New toilet blocks have been installed near the stadium by the NMMC
– Streetlights have also been installed around the stadium and other locations in Nerul by NMMC
– 16 emergency exit bridges developed
– Renovated media centre
