Sports Hub At GIFT City In The Offing: A Step Towards Promoting Wellness, Community Engagement

GIFT City’s Managing Director and Group CEO Sanjay Kaul has invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) in this regard. Gujarat International Finance Tec-City Company Limited (GIFTCL) has also taken steps for the design, development, operation, and maintenance of the proposed sports arena.

According to a senior GIFT City official, the sports arena will provide modern facilities for fitness, recreation, and social interaction. As per the current plan, the sports arena would facilitate activities such as box cricket, box football, and pickleball, besides a golf driving range.

The official also said that the sports arena will be coming up at Block No. 55, Central Park area, or any other suitable location in GIFT City.

Besides continuous monitoring, the agency executing the project would have to take into account the design guidelines of GIFT City to develop sports infrastructure.

In a similar effort, the Gujarat government had nearly two decades ago launched gym centers at different Secretariat blocks under the “Karmyogi” initiative for the benefit of its officers and employees. However, since the facilities were not utilised to their full potential, the authorities expect to create awareness of health among officials through the sports arena project.

Sports Arenas Worldwide:

A world-class arena is not just a sports ground – it is a symbol of architecture, an economic engine, and an entertainment hub. It prioritises everyone – from sports enthusiasts to corporate partners and the athletes on the field. Such facilities exist in developed cities such as New York, London, Munich (Germany), Brazil, Singapore, France, Australia, North Korea, and China.

In India, too, many large stadiums meet world-class standards. Sports arenas include open-air stadiums, indoor arenas, and integrated sports complexes, all of which are equipped with facilities for spectators, athletes, and technical teams, encouraging youngsters and promoting health awareness. In Gujarat, stadiums in Ahmedabad, Surat, and Rajkot have such facilities.

World-Class Sports Arenas in India:

• For Cricket:

• Narendra Modi Stadium – Ahmedabad, Gujarat
• Eden Gardens – Kolkata, West Bengal
• Wankhede Stadium – Mumbai, Maharashtra

• For Football:

• Salt Lake Stadium (Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan) – Kolkata
• Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium – New Delhi
• Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium – Guwahati, Assam

Multi-Sport/Olympic-Grade Stadiums:

• Kalinga Stadium – Bhubaneswar, Odisha
• Gachibowli Stadium – Hyderabad, Telangana
• Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Indoor Stadium – Mumbai

Indoor Arenas & Specialised Venues:

• Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium – Chennai
• Tau Devi Lal Stadium – Gurugram, Haryana
• Shree Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex – Pune, Maharashtra 

World-Class Sports Arenas Globally:

• North America:

• Madison Square Garden – New York City, US
• SoFi Stadium – Inglewood, California, US
• AT&T Stadium – Arlington, Texas, US
• Scotiabank Arena – Toronto, Canada

• Europe:

• Wembley Stadium – London, England
• Camp Nou – Barcelona, Spain
• Allianz Arena – Munich, Germany

• Asia:

• Tokyo Dome – Tokyo, Japan
• Beijing National Stadium (Bird’s Nest) – Beijing, China
• Salt Lake Stadium – Kolkata, India
• Lusail Stadium – Lusail, Qatar

• Australia:

• Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) – Melbourne
• Accor Stadium (Stadium Australia) – Sydney

• Africa:

• FNB Stadium (Soccer City) – Johannesburg, South Africa