Guwahati’s sports talent squeezed as playground shortage chokes training

Guwahati, Jan 6: The long-standing shortage of playgrounds in Guwahati has resurfaced as a pressing concern for the city’s sporting community, with athletes, coaches and organisers warning that the lack of accessible training spaces is hampering practice, talent development and grassroots participation.

The situation has become more acute following the reconstruction of Nehru Stadium, a key training hub for multiple disciplines.

With activities shifting out of the stadium, pressure has mounted on the few available grounds across the city, exposing deeper gaps in Guwahati’s sports infrastructure.

Players and coaches say that while the city does have a handful of small and large playgrounds, most are either ill-equipped or unable to accommodate multiple sports simultaneously.

Frequent tournaments and matches further restrict access, leaving little room for regular practice sessions.

As a result, many teams and academies that earlier trained at Nehru Stadium have relocated to Latasil Playground and a few other venues, which are already stretched by overlapping schedules.

Cricket coach Abhijit Sinha Roy, who trains athletes at Latasil, said the situation has made routine training increasingly difficult.

“Earlier, training was conducted at Nehru Stadium, but since it is now under reconstruction, we are training at Latasil. At the same time, tournaments are also being organised at different grounds, so we have to adjust with whatever space is available. This causes inconvenience not only to coaches but also to players,” he said.

Roy also flagged distance as a major hurdle, particularly for school students.

“Although there are stadiums, many of them are located far apart. Grounds like Latasil and Judges Field are relatively close, but matches are often held at both venues simultaneously. Guwahati needs a well-equipped playground within the city, and the authorities must give this issue priority,” he added.

Another cricket coach Jintu Das pointed to the absence of a dedicated cricket ground in the city, calling it a serious bottleneck for the sport’s growth.

“There is no proper cricket ground in Guwahati, and that is creating major problems. Practice sessions have become very limited. Ideally, there should be separate grounds for different sports,” he said, urging the Assam Cricket Association to intervene.

Players echoed similar frustrations. Pulak Chaudhury, a regular trainee, said the clash between tournaments and practice schedules leaves athletes constantly scrambling for space.

“Guwahati needs a good playground. Tournaments are happening and practice also needs to continue, but there is simply no space. Often, we have to travel far just to play,” he said.

Another trainee highlighted the uncertainty caused by Nehru Stadium’s closure. “Since we cannot practice there, we don’t know where to go. We are training at Latasil now, but there are difficulties here too. Both boys and girls face problems, and many grounds are far away. Even the existing stadiums are not enough,” he said.

Coaches and players stressed that as Assam’s largest city and a major sporting hub of the Northeast, Guwahati urgently needs more accessible, sport-specific playgrounds within the urban core.

Without timely intervention, they warned, the lack of infrastructure risks stalling the development of young talent and weakening the city’s sporting ecosystem.

By Dristirupa Bordoloi