Parents of young football players in Mumbai have issued a stark warning to the sports ministry, highlighting what they call dangerous and severely deteriorated playing conditions at the city's historic Azad Maidan. They report that the century-old grounds have become so hazardous that children are sustaining injuries during matches and practice sessions.
A Legacy of Neglect
Once a revered cradle for generations of Indian sportspersons, Azad Maidan is now facing a crisis of neglect. In a formal letter to the ministry, parents detailed the perilous state of the pitches, stating the playing surface is uneven, full of sand, and littered with loose stones and unsafe patches. This iconic open space, crucial to Mumbai's sporting culture, is now putting its youngest athletes at direct risk.
Stuck in Administrative Limbo
The football pitches are under the oversight of the Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA), established in 1893. The association's president, Jude Rodriguez, acknowledged the concerns but expressed helplessness, revealing a critical administrative hurdle. "We can't make any changes or improvements because our lease has expired," Rodriguez stated. The MSSA's long-term lease for the Maidan lapsed in 2016, and since then, the government has taken no decision on the venue's future, leaving everyone in a state of limbo.
The consequences of this uncertainty are physical and immediate. A professional coach working with three prominent Colaba schools shared a troubling account. During a recent inter-school tournament, his team, accustomed to playing on turf at the Wings Sports Centre in BKC, was suddenly moved to Azad Maidan for the quarter-finals. "These boys and girls, who have only played on turfs, suddenly had to face a gravelly surface. One of my students was badly scraped, and another school's player had to be taken to the hospital," the anonymous coach reported.
Broken Grounds and Shrinking Space
The challenges extend far beyond the poor quality of the grass. Rodriguez pointed out that the Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation (MMRCL), during the construction of the Aqua Line, took over a significant portion of the land. While some has been returned, only 60–70% of the original area is now available for play. This drastic reduction has forced tournaments to be conducted with nine players a side instead of the standard eleven. Furthermore, the spectator stands are deemed inadequate and in need of an upgrade.
In a potential ray of hope, parents have informed the sports minister that a private company has offered to use its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to upgrade the pitches at no cost to the MSSA. Rodriguez confirmed he is "open to the idea" and would welcome such an initiative. However, with the lease issue unresolved, any concrete progress remains stalled. Attempts to get a comment from Youth Welfare and Sports Minister Manikrao Kokate were unsuccessful.
