THE KALINGA STADIUM OF BHUBANESWAR, WHERE IMPORTANT NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL MATCHES HELD, WAS BADLY EFFECTED BY CYCLONE 'FONI'. KALINGA STADIUM IS THE HOME GROUND OF I-LEAGUE TEAM INDIAN ARROWS. THIS STADIUM IS ALSO A PROBABLE VENUE OF FIFA U-17 WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2020. Kolkatafootball.com
I assure you that Gujarat will have a football team in the near future: Udit Sheth
Turning heads and leading the worldly revolution of Indian alternate sports, Transstadia proves why nothing is impossible.
‘It’s not just a stadium, it’s an experience.’ Apt words aptly put. Transstadia, a newly opened stadium, it is India’s first true PPP in Sports Infrastructure. Narendra Modi, during his time as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, believed in the presentation that sport can only grow with public and private collaboration. This project envisages that 7 stadia alone are built in Gujarat on a hub and spoke model to catalyse sports development through competition, talent nurturing and infrastructure development.
A project worth Rs. 550 crores, Transstadia uses world-class technology for stand convertibility from Stadi-Arena UK, and seat-retract ability by T-Box, both patented technologies and being the pioneers in India. This ensures that on a small piece of land, the project that accommodates 1.4 mi. sq. ft. of constructed area can be used for sport, entertainment, wellness, hospitality, retail and more. At the press of a button, a part of the outdoor stadium converts into an indoor arena within 6 minutes.
We got the opportunity to have a free-wheeling conversation with Transstadia Founder and Managing Director Udit Sheth, who was welcoming and gave us a brilliant insight on various aspects associated with the project. The Government had granted the land for the project during the time Narendra Modi was the chief minister of the state.
Q. What was your basic idea/motive behind this idea and why did you choose Gujarat, a state not known to be sports loving beyond cricket?
A. The project, when I conceived it, had a few basic pointers. The first one was that it had to generate revenue. The other one was that it had to be multi-faceted, as sports-oriented facilities are often deemed to be minimally used in our country. Thus, a new sense of urban renewal and rehabilitation started off the idea and we worked on it for social benefaction and a wide spectrum of sports as well as other facilities. I had approached about 15 state governments, four of them replied back. The most positive one was from Narendra Modi’s Gujarat, and here we are today.
Talking about the Gujarat state Government, the budget has increased about 10 times in the last six years, which speaks highly of the kind of development they’ve done in the state. The state now ranks 10th in the State rankings, having risen from 28th just a few years ago. We being Gujaratis, our idea is to convert white elephants into rocking city centres and we could take this setup and place this anywhere in India, with the right support.
Quick Facts:
FIFA Standard Football Stadium with a seating capacity of 20,000 people
Patented Technologies to enhance spectator experience:
StadiArena: air-conditioned 32,000 sq. ft. pillar-less multi-purpose indoor arena
T-box: modular and retractable seating systems
Turf Protector - world’s only turf protection system manufactured from truly translucent HDPE material, it allows for continuous photosynthesis, which ensures optimal turf health, together with a 30-year UV degradation guarantee
Q. Do you think the world-class technology and facilities will be lapped up by the local people of Gujarat or would you be dependent on audiences beyond the state?
A. Look, this is what sets Transstadia aside. I could have a Navaratri programme at the base, an I-league game involving a Gujarati club against a Kolkata side and a YouTube Live programme, all at the same time. So the audiences depend on the event. Otherwise, the club facilities give you enough perks to join in and develop a healthier future for you and your family. We’re not only just event location; we’re a hub for entertainment and several other events. We also have club and hospitality services, which are state-of-art facilities as well.
Q. How do you think Transstadia will help the growth of Gujarat’s football?
A. This topic can be divided into two parts: Growth of football in Gujarat and Gujarat footballers’ growth. For the latter, we’re working closely with the SAG and have our own academy which is working towards the same. For the earlier one, an ISL or I-league club can come up, can tie-up with us to host its home games and we’re sure there’s a lot of space and scope for the growth of football in the state. We’re arranging various interactive 5-a-side tournaments to increase participation in the sport and a state-level school competition, which ensures a consistent return of quality footballers.
Q. If a team comes up in Gujarat and makes the Transstadia as the host stadium; do you think you’ll be able to fill the 20,000 capacity?
A. I do not have the headache of filling up 60,000 or about a lakh people, and with quality football around, I’m sure we’ll fill up the seats pretty quickly. We’re about 400+ clean toilets and audiences can watch the game from the edge of the pitch, something which is not found anywhere in India. With the right amenities and good quality on the pitch, I’m sure we’ll be getting full stadiums.
I can also assure you that in the next 24 months, there will be an ISL or I-league team from Gujarat.
We’re working with the Federation and we want them to host International games here. We also want them to try out the facilities while at a training camp, and we’re sure the manager and the officials will like it.
Q. With the array of sports you’re providing, how do you think the Olympic revolution can get better in India, starting with the Transstadia?
A. We want coaches from all over the country to use our facilities to help the athletes perform better. The bureaucracy needs to perform better as well, and a comprehensive plan needs to ensure that the job is being done on the right track. There needs to be a standard operating model which applies to every Indian state and only need, we’ll see the right talent coming up through the ranks and winning the accolades internationally.
Sports need to move out of the ambit of the government and need to come under the private sector because only then, the players will get the right returns and treatments. Governments need to take care of the grassroots and at developing young talent. More competitions/leagues, the better it will be for the players.
Quick Fact: The project has been built with all green building standards of power saving, smart water and power utilisation, fire safety, rainwater harvesting and more. The project has been built with 7.75 mi. construction man-hours. It has 44 km of electrical cabling and 14 km of Wi-Fi cabling. It has 200000 sq. ft. of landscaped areas. Recently, on Oct 2nd, the project was launched after 31 months of construction, with the first ever Pro-Kabaddi styled Kabaddi World Cup 2016, which India won handsomely.
Let me add review of transstadia , I attended Ind vs DPR Korea game on Saturday
Reachability to stadium: Its fairly easy while going towards it, cabs and rickshaws are plenty may be metro line will be constructed by next year. Returning from stadium could be nightmare cos its like 4-5k people rushing out from one side, I wonder how people were able to get Ola/uber, luckily I got rickshaw in time No idea how good buses are , In general I liked BRTS and local buses (by glance on BRTS route and bus conditions , I didn't travel in those) . Also not sure where 2/4 wheeler parking was!
Ease of Access: its not so easy .. first of all security measures are as usual idiotic (probably introduced by tournament organisers)... you cant bring umbrellas( even small ones which are allowed in U21 world cup or cricket match) secondly no water bottles are allowed , now I can understand reason that someone might throw them on ground but then inside stadium they sell full 1ltr water and cold drink bottles so thats weird.. going toward sitting area is like climbing 2-3 floors of steps so if you are with child or old person its tricky I couldn't see lift anywhere.
Stadium build/seats: I liked the seats and view , its like advanced version of Tilak maidan at vasco. Seats are well built and comfortable. Stairs (on which these seats are installed ) are steep in a good way so there is no view obstruction .I was sitting at centre so it was so pleasant to watch with field being pretty close. aesthetics wise its bad looking I mean there are seats in 50%area which has no proper design whatsoever(check pics). There is no roof so if it rains heavily you are doomed( right now its literally summer in Ahmadabad) I could not verify if it shakes when people start jumping. Washrooms were fairly clean
Food and Beverages: ok ok types, you get variety in terms of getting pattice and samosa along with popcorn. Nothing fancy Nothing bad. Good thing - water was easily available in cheap , full bottle for 20 bucks I liked that
Crowd: It was highlight. People had started to come from 6/6.30pm itself. by 8.15 it was nearly full(9k+ was official number). Few people were inquiring outside stadium if there was cricket match lol but thats fine. There was mix up of people who knew NT players properly and the ones who were totally blank(these were more). Chhetri was well known to all. e.g. some kids were telling their friends about jhingan. Few were asking why Jeje wasnt there. Where I was sitting nobody knew much about Blue pilgrims or their banner(some people were asking what does it mean). Everyone was shouting India-India , few groups were chanting something on their own may be those were ARA FC fans. as soon as Indian player would advance in final third, majority would stand in excitement. Very Few fans would even applaud good moves by koreans. Good thing was nobody left till 90min were over, they were hoping for more goals.
Overall: Its good venue especially if you want to keep ISL here. Area around stadium looks like congested (but I have seen Mumbai's stadium so its somewhat similar) I doubt if they would get that 9k number of crowd every time though(don't take it for granted that NT crowd and club match crowd would be same but one can say there was enthusiasm in public). There are plenty of hotels in span of 10-15km from stadium so players stay should be sorted out. Airport is also something 14km long. I didnt stuck in traffic jams(definitely not huge like Mumbai/ Bengaluru) so thats one big plus.
pics: Like I said I was sitting at centre so you should get perspective accordingly.
Comments
Kolkatafootball.com
I assure you that Gujarat will have a football team in the near future: Udit Sheth
Turning heads and leading the worldly revolution of Indian alternate sports, Transstadia proves why nothing is impossible.
‘It’s not just a stadium, it’s an experience.’ Apt words aptly put. Transstadia, a newly opened stadium, it is India’s first true PPP in Sports Infrastructure. Narendra Modi, during his time as the Chief Minister of Gujarat, believed in the presentation that sport can only grow with public and private collaboration. This project envisages that 7 stadia alone are built in Gujarat on a hub and spoke model to catalyse sports development through competition, talent nurturing and infrastructure development.
A project worth Rs. 550 crores, Transstadia uses world-class technology for stand convertibility from Stadi-Arena UK, and seat-retract ability by T-Box, both patented technologies and being the pioneers in India. This ensures that on a small piece of land, the project that accommodates 1.4 mi. sq. ft. of constructed area can be used for sport, entertainment, wellness, hospitality, retail and more. At the press of a button, a part of the outdoor stadium converts into an indoor arena within 6 minutes.
We got the opportunity to have a free-wheeling conversation with Transstadia Founder and Managing Director Udit Sheth, who was welcoming and gave us a brilliant insight on various aspects associated with the project. The Government had granted the land for the project during the time Narendra Modi was the chief minister of the state.
Excerpts:
.........................................................................................................................................................................................
Q. What was your basic idea/motive behind this idea and why did you choose Gujarat, a state not known to be sports loving beyond cricket?
A. The project, when I conceived it, had a few basic pointers. The first one was that it had to generate revenue. The other one was that it had to be multi-faceted, as sports-oriented facilities are often deemed to be minimally used in our country. Thus, a new sense of urban renewal and rehabilitation started off the idea and we worked on it for social benefaction and a wide spectrum of sports as well as other facilities. I had approached about 15 state governments, four of them replied back. The most positive one was from Narendra Modi’s Gujarat, and here we are today.
Talking about the Gujarat state Government, the budget has increased about 10 times in the last six years, which speaks highly of the kind of development they’ve done in the state. The state now ranks 10th in the State rankings, having risen from 28th just a few years ago. We being Gujaratis, our idea is to convert white elephants into rocking city centres and we could take this setup and place this anywhere in India, with the right support.
Quick Facts:
Q. Do you think the world-class technology and facilities will be lapped up by the local people of Gujarat or would you be dependent on audiences beyond the state?
A. Look, this is what sets Transstadia aside. I could have a Navaratri programme at the base, an I-league game involving a Gujarati club against a Kolkata side and a YouTube Live programme, all at the same time. So the audiences depend on the event. Otherwise, the club facilities give you enough perks to join in and develop a healthier future for you and your family. We’re not only just event location; we’re a hub for entertainment and several other events. We also have club and hospitality services, which are state-of-art facilities as well.
Q. How do you think Transstadia will help the growth of Gujarat’s football?
A. This topic can be divided into two parts: Growth of football in Gujarat and Gujarat footballers’ growth. For the latter, we’re working closely with the SAG and have our own academy which is working towards the same. For the earlier one, an ISL or I-league club can come up, can tie-up with us to host its home games and we’re sure there’s a lot of space and scope for the growth of football in the state. We’re arranging various interactive 5-a-side tournaments to increase participation in the sport and a state-level school competition, which ensures a consistent return of quality footballers.
Q. If a team comes up in Gujarat and makes the Transstadia as the host stadium; do you think you’ll be able to fill the 20,000 capacity?
A. I do not have the headache of filling up 60,000 or about a lakh people, and with quality football around, I’m sure we’ll fill up the seats pretty quickly. We’re about 400+ clean toilets and audiences can watch the game from the edge of the pitch, something which is not found anywhere in India. With the right amenities and good quality on the pitch, I’m sure we’ll be getting full stadiums.
I can also assure you that in the next 24 months, there will be an ISL or I-league team from Gujarat.
We’re working with the Federation and we want them to host International games here. We also want them to try out the facilities while at a training camp, and we’re sure the manager and the officials will like it.
............................................................................................................................................................................................
Q. With the array of sports you’re providing, how do you think the Olympic revolution can get better in India, starting with the Transstadia?
A. We want coaches from all over the country to use our facilities to help the athletes perform better. The bureaucracy needs to perform better as well, and a comprehensive plan needs to ensure that the job is being done on the right track. There needs to be a standard operating model which applies to every Indian state and only need, we’ll see the right talent coming up through the ranks and winning the accolades internationally.
Sports need to move out of the ambit of the government and need to come under the private sector because only then, the players will get the right returns and treatments. Governments need to take care of the grassroots and at developing young talent. More competitions/leagues, the better it will be for the players.
Quick Fact: The project has been built with all green building standards of power saving, smart water and power utilisation, fire safety, rainwater harvesting and more. The project has been built with 7.75 mi. construction man-hours. It has 44 km of electrical cabling and 14 km of Wi-Fi cabling. It has 200000 sq. ft. of landscaped areas. Recently, on Oct 2nd, the project was launched after 31 months of construction, with the first ever Pro-Kabaddi styled Kabaddi World Cup 2016, which India won handsomely.
https://khelnow.com/news/article/udit-sheth-transstadia-md-founder-interview-gujarat
SE TransStadia Introduction Video
TransStadia Sports Performance & Rehab - Human Performance Lab
Convertible Stadium
T-BOX - Stadium-In-A-Box’ technology by TransStadia
https://khelnow.com/news/article/udit-sheth-transstadia-md-founder-interview-gujarat
Reachability to stadium:
Its fairly easy while going towards it, cabs and rickshaws are plenty may be metro line will be constructed by next year.
Returning from stadium could be nightmare cos its like 4-5k people rushing out from one side, I wonder how people were able to get Ola/uber, luckily I got rickshaw in time
No idea how good buses are , In general I liked BRTS and local buses (by glance on BRTS route and bus conditions , I didn't travel in those) . Also not sure where 2/4 wheeler parking was!
Ease of Access:
its not so easy .. first of all security measures are as usual idiotic (probably introduced by tournament organisers)... you cant bring umbrellas( even small ones which are allowed in U21 world cup or cricket match) secondly no water bottles are allowed , now I can understand reason that someone might throw them on ground but then inside stadium they sell full 1ltr water and cold drink bottles so thats weird.. going toward sitting area is like climbing 2-3 floors of steps so if you are with child or old person its tricky I couldn't see lift anywhere.
Stadium build/seats:
I liked the seats and view , its like advanced version of Tilak maidan at vasco. Seats are well built and comfortable.
Stairs (on which these seats are installed ) are steep in a good way so there is no view obstruction .I was sitting at centre so it was so pleasant to watch with field being pretty close.
aesthetics wise its bad looking I mean there are seats in 50%area which has no proper design whatsoever(check pics). There is no roof so if it rains heavily you are doomed( right now its literally summer in Ahmadabad)
I could not verify if it shakes when people start jumping. Washrooms were fairly clean
Food and Beverages:
ok ok types, you get variety in terms of getting pattice and samosa along with popcorn. Nothing fancy Nothing bad.
Good thing - water was easily available in cheap , full bottle for 20 bucks I liked that
Crowd:
It was highlight. People had started to come from 6/6.30pm itself. by 8.15 it was nearly full(9k+ was official number). Few people were inquiring outside stadium if there was cricket match lol but thats fine. There was mix up of people who knew NT players properly and the ones who were totally blank(these were more). Chhetri was well known to all.
e.g. some kids were telling their friends about jhingan. Few were asking why Jeje wasnt there. Where I was sitting nobody knew much about Blue pilgrims or their banner(some people were asking what does it mean).
Everyone was shouting India-India , few groups were chanting something on their own may be those were ARA FC fans. as soon as Indian player would advance in final third, majority would stand in excitement.
Very Few fans would even applaud good moves by koreans.
Good thing was nobody left till 90min were over, they were hoping for more goals.
Overall:
Its good venue especially if you want to keep ISL here. Area around stadium looks like congested (but I have seen Mumbai's stadium so its somewhat similar)
I doubt if they would get that 9k number of crowd every time though(don't take it for granted that NT crowd and club match crowd would be same but one can say there was enthusiasm in public).
There are plenty of hotels in span of 10-15km from stadium so players stay should be sorted out. Airport is also something 14km long. I didnt stuck in traffic jams(definitely not huge like Mumbai/ Bengaluru) so thats one big plus.
pics:
Like I said I was sitting at centre so you should get perspective accordingly.