KARACHI: The PSB-owned National Coaching Centre (NCC) in Karachi is set to close for eight months for all types of sporting activities, including those for members, daily visitors, sports organisations, academies, and educational institutions that organise their sporting events.
The development comes in the wake of the massive civil work taking place in full swing. Among the several developments for different projects is the reconstruction of the collapsed wall situated at the entrance of the venue, and the seating arrangements for spectators are in fast progress, a survey conducted by The News revealed.
Sources connected to the development work told this scribe that the grassy football ground located in the center of tartan track will be completely stripped and replaced with synthetic turf.
It is learnt that the new tartan track and synthetic football turf will be laid when the work on seating arrangements is completed.
The seating arrangement is being carried out close to the athletic track, and it will have seven cemented ladders for spectators, as well as public toilets, changing rooms, and other civic facilities.
Sources also confirmed that a shed would be built on the ladders to save the spectators from the sunlight.
Sources further said that PSB authorities took serious notice when the wall collapsed, thus, a storm water drain is also being developed alongside the wall.
The drain will help address the long-standing issue of affecting the wall during the monsoons.
It has to be mentioned that due to heavy rains in Karachi, the NCC gets flooded with water, causing a flood-like situation in and around the center.
The 30 years old red-colored tartan track has been completely scratched, while the track and football ground will be revamped in a way that the heavy rains won’t cause massive damage.
The sources said that both tartan track and synthetic turf for the football ground will be imported from a European country, and the services of technical experts will be hired for the installation.
All development projects in the NCC, according to the planners of PSB, will take around 18 months to complete.
