DDA's first international-level ice skating rink in Dwarka likely to open by October 2025

New Delhi, May 31 (PTI) The Delhi Development Authority's (DDA) first international-level ice skating rink is likely to be ready by October this year at its sports complex in Dwarka Sector 23, officials said on Saturday.

The DDA is developing a sports complex spread across 17 acres with multiple facilities, including a football ground, hockey ground, and the ice skating rink. It has issued a tender seeking professional sports agencies to operate and maintain the facility.

"In Dwarka Sector 23, the ice skating rink is being specially designed, and the work is likely to be completed soon. We have issued a tender for professionals to operate this and other facilities," a DDA official said.

The authority is also working on two other sports complexes in Dwarka -- in Sector 8 spread across 23 acres and in Sector 19 which covers 19 acres.

"The vision is to focus on inclusivity, excellence, sustainability, and long-term development of sports. The DDA aims to establish specialised Centres of Excellence (CoE) for different sports at selected facilities, providing high-performance training environments for athletes," the official said.

According to the plan, the Sector 8 complex will host a CoE for wrestling, boxing, judo, and karate, while Sector 19 will focus on tennis and shooting. The Sector 23 complex will have facilities for hockey and football.

The company will be responsible for developing hostel facilities at the Sector 8 complex as per prevailing FAR norms and procuring necessary sports and non-sports equipment. The DDA has already procured part of the equipment, and the remaining will be provided by the concessionaire, the tender reads.

In its budget announced in April, the DDA allocated Rs 250 crore for the construction of new sports complexes -- one each in Dwarka, Rohini, and at the Golf Course in Dwarka.

The CoE at Dwarka Sector 8 was inaugurated by Lt Governor VK Saxena on May 8. The deadline for Sector 19 is July and for Sector 23, October 2025.

"To ensure that sports enthusiasts can fully benefit from these facilities and to encourage budding talent capable of competing at the highest levels, professional coaching will also be provided for boxing, wrestling, weightlifting, and taekwondo,” Saxena said at the inauguration.

Currently, the DDA manages 17 sports complexes and three golf courses in the national capital, with more such facilities being developed. PTI SSM OZ OZ