The Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, commonly known by its former name National Stadium, is a

field hockey Field hockey is a team sport structured in standard hockey format, in which each team plays with ten outfield players and a goalkeeper. Teams must drive a round hockey ball by hitting it with a hockey stick towards the rival team's shooting ci ...

stadium in

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament House ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. The stadium is named after former Indian

player,

Dhyan Chand Major Dhyan Chand (29 August 1905 – 3 December 1979) was an Indian field hockey player, widely regarded as one of the greatest field hockey players in history. He was known for his extraordinary ball control and goal-scoring feats, in a ...

. It served as the venue for the 1st Asian Games in 1951.

History

The stadium was built in 1933 as a gift for Delhi from the Maharaja of Bhavnagar, it was originally multipurpose stadium and named the Irwin Amphitheatre. It was designed by Anthony S. DeMillo and opened by

Lord Willingdon Freeman Freeman-Thomas, 1st Marquess of Willingdon (12 September 1866 – 12 August 1941), was a British Liberal politician and administrator who served as Governor General of Canada, the 13th since Canadian Confederation, and as Viceroy and Go ...

. As per the original plans of architect of

Edwin Lutyens Sir Edwin Landseer Lutyens ( ; 29 March 1869 – 1 January 1944) was an English architect known for imaginatively adapting traditional architectural styles to the requirements of his era. He designed many English country houses, war memori ...

there was to be garden at the site, to provide a clear view of the historic ''

Purana Quila Purana Qila () is one of the oldest forts in Delhi, India. Built by the second Mughal Emperor Humayun and Surid Sultan Sher Shah Suri, it is thought by many to be located on the site of the ancient city of Indraprastha. The fort formed the in ...

''( Old Fort) in the backdrop, as it lay perpendicular to the axis beginning from

Rashtrapati Bhavan The Rashtrapati Bhavan (, rāsh-truh-puh-ti bha-vun; ; originally Viceroy's House and later Government House) is the official residence of the President of India at the western end of Rajpath, Raisina Hill, New Delhi, India. Rashtrapati Bh ...

(President's House) through

Rajpath Rajpath, officially named Kartavya Path, and formerly known as Kingsway, is a ceremonial boulevard in New Delhi, India, that runs from Rashtrapati Bhavan on Raisina Hill through Vijay Chowk and India Gate, National War Memorial to Nation ...

and ending at the

India Gate The India Gate (formerly known as the All India War Memorial) is a war memorial located near the Rajpath on the eastern edge of the "ceremonial axis" of New Delhi, formerly called duty path. It stands as a memorial to 84,000 soldiers of the Br ...

, his plans were however overruled. It was renamed National Stadium before the 1951 Asian Games, Dhyan Chand's name was added in 2002.

Major renovations

The Dhyan Chand Stadium was the host venue for the

2010 Men's Hockey World Cup The 2010 Men's Hockey World Cup was the 12th edition of Men's Hockey World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for men's national field hockey teams organized by the International Hockey Federation. It was held from 28 February to 13 March ...

. It was also the field hockey venue of the

2010 Commonwealth Games The 2010 Commonwealth Games (Hindi: 2010 राष्ट्रमण्डल खेल), officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Delhi 2010, was an international multi-sport event that was held in Delhi, India, f ...

. The stadium underwent a major reconstruction project before the Hockey World Cup 2010. On 24 January 2010 it became the first venue for the

to be unveiled. The stadium was revamped at a cost of Rs 262 crore, 50 crore more than originally budgeted. The stands, which were earthen embankments, were demolished and a new rectangular seating bowl was constructed in its place. From 8–10 December 2017 it hosted the fourth edition of Jashn-e-Rekhta, the Urdu festival of India by Rekhta Foundation led by Rajiv Saraf.

Stadium features

The stadium is spread over 17,500 square metres in the complex. It has three synthetic pitches — two conform to international standards and a third is for practice. It is located adjacent to the

Indian Coast Guard The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency of India with jurisdiction over its territorial waters including its contiguous zone and exclusive economic zone. The Indian Coast Guard was formally esta ...

Headquarters. A new polygrass turf was laid on all pitches equipped with new sprinkler systems. The main field has a capacity to seat about 16,200 spectators. The second pitch outside the main arena has 900 permanent seats and with a provision of 1,600 temporary seats. The two competitive pitches are flood-lit with foldable floodlight towers (hinged mast lights) which will provide 2,200 lux illumination during the competition. This will enable high definition TV transmission. Both the pitches are equipped with facilities for the players like change rooms, relaxation lounges and a VVIP lounge. The stadium is air-conditioned and fitted with lifts. There are barrier free provisions for athletes and spectators who are physically challenged. The stadium will get its power supply from two grids with a backup based on generator sets and battery uninterrupted power supply.

References

External links

Men’s Hockey World Cup 2010 schedule

2010 Commonwealth Hockey Stadium
{{2010 Commonwealth Games venues, state=collapsed Field hockey venues in India Sports venues completed in 1933 2010 Commonwealth Games venues Stadiums of the Asian Games 1951 Asian Games Asian Games athletics venues Asian Games football venues Venues of the 1951 Asian Games Defunct cricket grounds in India Rebuilt buildings and structures in India Monuments and memorials to Dhyan Chand 1933 establishments in India Asian Games water polo venues