Mangaluru:
The Karnataka Athletics Association (KAA) has decided to extend support to any project for improving the infrastructure at the Mangala stadium, where the Senior National Athletics championship just concluded, said the Association president G Parameshwara.
Speaking to the reporters after the successful conduct of the 19th Federation Cup Senior National Athletics championship at the venue here which ended yesterday, he said there was a proposal to set up a 200m synthetic track in the warm up area near the stadium.
KAA would also support the Dakshina Kannada Amateur Athletic Association’s plan to install permanent flood lights and to improve infrastructure to ensure that the stadium could hold international athletic meets in future, he added.
Parameshwara said Mangaluru has proved that it has the potential to host the most important national athletic event.
“The city is capable of producing reputed athletes in future,” he said, adding that KAA would back the efforts to improve facilities at this venue and would seek th government’s support for its plans.
Athletics Federation of India (AFI) Secretary General C K Valson said the Federation Cup here was a remarkable event and the initial doubts whether the city could host an event of this stature in the national athletics calendar, has been dispelled.
Valson said if the KAA kept its assurances on augmenting facilities at the Mangala stadium, the venue would be put inthe reckoning to host bigger athletic events.
