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Panjim Gymkhana set to begin fresh lease of life

| JANUARY 24, 2018, 04:45 AM IST

the goan I network

PANAJI 

In a press conference held at Panjim Gymkhana on Tuesday, the Committee President Manoj Caculo in the presence of other members announced that Panjim Gymkhana, with a refurbished new outlook will be inaugurated on January 26 at 5.30 pm.   

The erstwhile Panjim Gymkhana is the brain-child of the first Chief Minister of Goa, Daman & Diu (Late) Dayanand Bandodkar, who was a dedicated and inspired sportsman. Though Bhausaheb, as he was popularly known as, germinated an idea for a sporting complex in Panaji on April 12, 1963, it was only five years later Panjim Gymkhana was built in 1968.  

Until around two years ago, when Panjim Gymkhana stopped activities for refurbishment, a lot of famous tournaments organised by Panjim Gymkhana for decades like All Goa Table Tennis Tournaments, Angley’s TT Team Championship, Bandodkar Trophy Cricket Tournament and Germania Trophy Inter School Cricket Tournament were held. It will not be long before these legacy tournaments are resumed.   

Back in 1986 a South zone side played the visiting New Zealand side in a warm-up tie. Many Indian cricket greats have tread the very grounds. The roll of Honour includes Prof. Deodhar, one of India’s foremost cricket promoters; S K Wankhede, the ex President of BCCI; Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi, Chandu Borde, Poly Umrigar, Vijay Merchant, Dilip Sardesai, Farokh Engineer, Dilip Vengsarkar, Abbas Ali Baig, Jaisimha, Eknath Solkar, Ashok Mankad and Sandip Patil, and many more.  

The new outlook of Panjim Gymkhana was mooted when a new committee took over the reins in 2012. The need for a state of the art sporting complex which was long felt work of which began to take swift action with the new committee in place.   

The master plan for the sports complex was conceptualised and designed by M/s Shashi Prabhu & Associates, Mumbai who are also famous for designing various sports complexes including Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. Architect Bryan Soares has worked on detailing the project and ensured impeccable implementation with supervision, etc. 

Engineer Niteen Sant is the structural consultant for the project. All these three professionals have provided their services on voluntary basis.  

The foundation stone was laid in January 2016 and this all new sporting complex was completed in under two years. It will be inaugurated on January 26 at the hands of State Chief Minister by Manohar Parrikar. The facilities that are ready or nearing completion are the Members Pavilion, Dressing Rooms – Home and Away, Umpire Room, Restaurant, two Floodlit Synthetic Tennis Courts, a half- Olympic size Swimming Pool, Badminton, Table Tennis and Pool.  

Besides these, new venues opened can accommodate 1000+ people for events called “Sunset Lawns”.  

The estimated cost of the first phase which is at 10.5 crores, the second phase put at 3.5 crores is facing financial constraints at the moment. 

In the second phase, facilities which will be added include – Health Club, Gymnasium, Squash, Cards Room, Billiards Room and Halls.   

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