No more commercial events at Kanteerava

BENGALURU: To avoid games and sports activities getting affected, the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES) will soon ban commercial and non-sports activities inside Kanteerava Stadium. The government has issued an order in this regard. The Minister of Youth Empowerment and Sports on Monday said at an event in Mangaluru that henceforth permission for non-sports and non-games activities inside the Kanteerava Stadium will not be given.

The stadium has two separate wings: Indoor and Outdoor. Prohibition has already been in practice at the indoor wing for the past three years. Kanteerava Stadium on an average holds more than 200 events in a year of which around 15 events in 2008 were commercial in nature.

The stadium has seen events like Marathon, Pinkathon and Yoga Day being held on its premises of late. Speaking to The New Indian Express, K Srinivas, Commissioner, DYES said, “The department had been allowing commercial activities inside the stadium such as an exhibition of jewellery, books and other events.

They were obstructing practice of athletes and sportsmen, and also damaging the tracks and sports utilities kept inside the stadium.” “ The stadium will now be purely meant for practice for athletes and sports activities,” he added. However, another official clarified that the stadium will be available for state functions such as Kannada Rajyotsava, public viewing of mortal remains of public figures and other government programmes.