Pune has many advantages which other venues do not possess.
1) Balewadi Sports Complex is owned and operated by Central Government thru Indian Olympic Association. This was possible due to efforts of Suresh Kalmadi who was MP from Pune and also ruled India Olympic Association for almost 3 decades in various capacities. It was due to Kalmadi efforts that Pune got National Games, Commonwealth Youth Games and Central Government funding came to build, maintain and operate the complex for all the sports including main Balewadi Stadium for Football. If things are left to State Government or State Sports Association or Municipality, then things move much slower in building or renovating stadiums unless they are organising National/SAFF games because then only they get Funding boost from Central Government. How difficult it became for WIFA to renovate Cooperage stadium? It is also a headache for KSFA to refurbish Bangalore Football Stadium.
2) Pune comes under WIFA which is home turf of PP. That is surely an advantage.
3) Businessman living in South Mumbai also prefer Pune as it is cost-effective to organise there. Hotel, Transportation costs are cheaper then Mumbai plus Mumbai requires lot of permissions from various authorities. There is always a shortage of stadiums in Mumbai. Powerful people like Sharad Pawar could do it for Cricket or Aaditya Thackeray for Football but not everybody can do it in Mumbai.
Somebody should also post the news about Minerva getting the govt to renovate sector 17 ground at Chandigarh into a football specific facility bybnext year. This could be big if they manage even a cooperage type low cost facility
Comments
1) Balewadi Sports Complex is owned and operated by Central Government thru Indian Olympic Association. This was possible due to efforts of Suresh Kalmadi who was MP from Pune and also ruled India Olympic Association for almost 3 decades in various capacities. It was due to Kalmadi efforts that Pune got National Games, Commonwealth Youth Games and Central Government funding came to build, maintain and operate the complex for all the sports including main Balewadi Stadium for Football.
If things are left to State Government or State Sports Association or Municipality, then things move much slower in building or renovating stadiums unless they are organising National/SAFF games because then only they get Funding boost from Central Government. How difficult it became for WIFA to renovate Cooperage stadium? It is also a headache for KSFA to refurbish Bangalore Football Stadium.
2) Pune comes under WIFA which is home turf of PP. That is surely an advantage.
3) Businessman living in South Mumbai also prefer Pune as it is cost-effective to organise there. Hotel, Transportation costs are cheaper then Mumbai plus Mumbai requires lot of permissions from various authorities. There is always a shortage of stadiums in Mumbai. Powerful people like Sharad Pawar could do it for Cricket or Aaditya Thackeray for Football but not everybody can do it in Mumbai.
New track is being laid at Salt Lake Stadium.
Fit for film stars and selfies.