Tiruchi in elite club, gets synthetic track

The newly laid synthetic athletic track at Anna Stadium is ready and will be brought into use after obtaining the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF) certification.

With the completion of the eight-lane 400-metre synthetic athletic track, Tiruchi becomes the fourth city in Tamil Nadu after Chennai, Coimbatore, and Madurai to have the facility.

Long jump and triple jump pits with synthetic runways have been established on either side of the eight-lane track. Senior coaches said that the synthetic athletic track would be of immense benefit to the young athletes.

The track had been laid around the football ground, which is of grass turf.

The grass turf has been developed and a roller would be employed to even it out, sources said.

The grass would be trimmed before the goalposts were fixed.

The ground would be ready by the end of the year, the sources said.

Four high masts of floodlights had been erected. Each tower had 18 metal halide lamps. The floodlights could be utilised for both athletics and football. The cost of the three facilities – synthetic athletic track, grass turf football ground, and floodlights – is Rs. 6 crore, sanctioned by the State government.

The other ongoing infrastructure development work at Anna Stadium includes, wooden flooring for the multipurpose indoor stadium, tennis complex that will house three synthetic courts, and modernisation of gymnasium. Renovation of galleries at the stadium is on the anvil, sources added.