NEW DELHI: Athletes training at Gurugram’s Tau Devi Lal Stadium were left without access to the facility for four days after a helicopter carrying Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was parked inside the stadium grounds.
Saini had been on a three-day visit to Singapore and was scheduled to take the helicopter back to Chandigarh after returning to Gurugram. The city currently does not have a state or civil aviation ministry helipad, while parking the helicopter at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi would have incurred additional charges.
The incident has also raised concerns among athletes and coaches about the use of the sports facility for VIP helicopter operations. The Times of India reported athletes as saying that the incident was not isolated and that a helicopter is parked at the stadium for a day or two nearly every month.
Saini’s media advisor told the TOI that the helicopter remained at the stadium because of a machinery glitch and was not being kept there as a standby measure.
However, local athletes and coaches told IndiaToday.in that the use of the stadium for helicopter operations is a regular occurrence. They said the stadium remains closed to athletes for around two days every month because of such helicopter movements.
The competing accounts leave questions over how frequently the stadium is being used for VIP helicopter operations and the impact this has on athletes who train at the facility.
The use of the facility is particularly notable in a state with a strong sporting culture and a significant contribution to India’s medal tally at major international events. At the 2026 Asian Games, Haryana accounted for 32 of India’s 85 medals, including 14 gold, nine silver and nine bronze. Of the 207 Indian athletes who returned from the Games with a medal, 45 were from Haryana.
The Gurugram incident is not the first time athletes in India have found their access to sporting facilities affected by activities involving officials or other non-sporting events. In 2022, athletes and coaches at Delhi’s Thyagaraj Stadium alleged that they were asked to finish their training early so that then Delhi Principal Secretary (Revenue) Sanjeev Khirwar could walk his dog at the facility.
Khirwar denied asking athletes to leave for that reason, while the stadium administrator said the official training timings ended at 7 pm. The controversy led to Khirwar being transferred to Ladakh and his wife, IAS officer Rinku Dugga, being transferred to Arunachal Pradesh.
Athletes at Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium have also repeatedly complained about disruptions caused by the venue being used for concerts. Following Diljit Dosanjh’s concert in October 2024, the athletics track remained closed for 10 days, forcing athletes to train on the warm-up track while clean-up and restoration work was carried out.
The issue resurfaced in 2025 when athletes and coaches sought clarity over access to the stadium as it was being prepared to host a Travis Scott concert. The repeated complaints eventually prompted the Sports Authority of India to introduce stricter standard operating procedures for non-sporting events at JLN Stadium, including provisions aimed at ensuring such events do not interfere with athletes’ training or competitions.
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