Ajay Raina
JAMMU, Oct 17: The Billiards Hall at MA Stadium has turned into a ‘Ghost House’ due to apathy of J&K State Sports Council.
“On the one hand, Governments is making tall claims of upgrading the sports infrastructure in the State, but on the other hand is neglecting the all-ready existing sports infrastructure. One of the best examples is Billiards Hall at MA Stadium, which has turned into a ‘Ghost House’ due to various deficiencies including bad lighting system”, official sources told the EXCELSIOR.
The electricity connection to this hall was given around 20 years back and several times when the cueists played their games, the electricity circuit broke down creating an atmosphere of darkness, sources said, adding that the electricity wire connected from the main pole is in a precarious condition and needs immediate repair otherwise any untoward incident can take place.
The approach road to the hall is in worst condition from past several years, sources said, adding that cueists and the visitors to this hall have met with accidents several times leading to injuries to them.
Apart from approach road, the hall has sunk down from one portion and it has become difficult for the organizers to utilize the services of that portion, where a snooker table has been placed to carry on matches, sources said, adding that if the organizers use the table at that place, they have to balance it by providing stone support as can be seen in the given picture.
“No proper water connection is there in the hall and a temporary connection has been taken from the nearby tube-well. The cueists have to purchase the water bottles from outside as the water tank installed at the roof-top of the hall has been found to have no water on various occasions. Due to water scarcity the cueists also face problems to use washrooms”, sources stated. The water tank installed for water supply to the kitchen in the hall has also got damaged, which also irks the cueists, sources added.
Sources said that four Air Conditioners (ACs) were installed in this ‘Ghost House’, but two of them went out of order, which has added more anguish among the cueists. “Snooker and Billiards Championships are being conducted round the year and it becomes very difficult for the cueists to play the games in hot and humid weather conditions”, sources added.
“There were three ‘Markers’ few years back, out of them one was transferred to Srinagar around a decade back and one of them died due to electric shock at MA Stadium’s accommodation provided to him. Only one ‘Marker’ is there and he is also not fit enough to carry out the matches during the Championships. The Organizers of the Championships have to bring ‘Markers’ from outside to carry out the matches, which costs them too much”, sources asserted.
“Long grass and dump of garbage outside the hall and in its surroundings is also a cause of concern and can lead to health hazard for the cueists, but Council is reluctant and not maintaining the surroundings of the hall”, sources said, adding that the cushions and table cloth in the hall also need to be replaced with new one as they are also in worst condition.
The hall has developed cracks in some areas, while window panes are broken, sources said, adding that the hall also needs a whitewash.
However, Jammu and Kashmir Billiards and Snooker Association (JKBSA) had written all these issues to Joint Secretary, J&K State Sports Council several months back, but no action has been taken till today, which may force some of the cueists to leave the game in near future, sources added.
“We are participating in the ongoing State level Championships to qualify for the forthcoming Nationals, but we are facing a lot of problems. The main problem we face is poor lighting system”, a group of cueists told the EXCELSIOR.
They added that there are many things in the hall, which needs immediate attention of the Council, so that the game of Billiards and Snooker can survive.
General Secretary, J&K Billiards and Snooker Association, Jammu, Vishal Abrol told the EXCELSIOR that the Association had written to J&K State Sports Council about the problems being faced by them while conducting tournaments, but no serious attention has been paid.
“Last year, former Secretary, J&K State Sports Council had deputed a team to conduct the survey of the hall, but despite that, no up-gradation work of the hall has been undertaken till date”, he added.
When contacted, Joint Secretary, J&K State Sports Council, Shiv Kumar Sharma said that the Council has received the letter from Jammu and Kashmir Billiards and Snooker Association about the worst condition of the hall and the matter will be taken up with the Secretary, Sports Council to get the hall renovated on priority basis.
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