There is no doubt that IPL is here to stay. What else can take way the tensions of examination,the unbearable heat of April/May every year and the sheer entertainment or infotainment value along with revenue and job generation opportunities. All in all a win-win situation for all. Yes and no, as I discovered on 18 Apr during the battle between Kings X1 Punjab and KKR at Pune.
The relatively new stadium originally named after Sahara and now run by the Maharashtra Cricket Association sans the original name,is quite an imposing structure along side the Mumbai- Pune expressway- at the very entrance to Pune. But how does one get there in the first instance? Traffic and poor infrastructure just outside the stadium knocks out the excitement generated prior to the event. So what is new you might ask. The time taken to reach the stadium from the heart of Pune city in a rough bumper to bumper ride, took all of 3 hours and 20 minutes. That is the time taken to reach Mumbai from Pune on the express way. It is another matter that one tends to forget the journey once you are in the electrifying ambiance inside the stadium, when the great game of cricket starts.
Should an international standard infrastructure be attempted to get the spectators to the stadium in a reasonable time, the cost could be enormous.. So what is the next best option? Do the best that you can with what you have and let the spectators duly forget the experience after the event. After all how many matches of this stature are conducted in the stadium through the year. So what, if you have to struggle on a few occasions-whats the big deal! That attitude is precisely what separates us from the ones including China. An integrated plan ought to take all aspects of the game including access to the terminal facility. It implies that multiple stake holders including resource less Government agencies need to be brought on board. Sahara may have hired the best experts from around the world or those who have the expertise within, but then why would BCCI or Sahara fund the whole package of accessibility?
Will this pain of transportation be alleviated over a period of time? Perhaps. But the moot question is, was the optimum utilization of the stadium along with regular upkeep budgeted in the first instance? Just look at another swanky stadium called DY Patil which is reachable within 3 hours from Pune and that too located at the entrance to Navi Mumbai. Why was it built in the first instance? Who plays cricket there now?
And now the logistics of entry. Although scores of security and hospitality personnel were seen at the entry points, it did not take long to realize that they were ill equipped to guide those in trouble. When we finally blundered into our stand, which was by no means inexpensive, our marked seats were already occupied by flag wielding less than congenial, persons who were in no mood to discuss seating plan or the lack of it. They even claimed that they had thrown away their tickets(costing a few thousand rupees). It needed the intervention of a couple of bouncers to unseat them which meant moving them a few seats further away, You are expected to' manage' in the interest of the game-even if it meant sharing a single seat!
This puzzle of unauthorized occupation was solved the next morning. The Daily Mirror had a front page story of a ticket scam in which the ticketing agency, security and the organizers had a business model centered on touts.. That is another story which is unlikely to shock you, as this scam is minuscule compared to the G's that you are familiar with. The Indian rope trick of Scam versus Skill has recently been articulated in Canada too.
And now the food. Here the Mango man scored over those of us who had paid for our food or were promised complimentary goodies. Beverages and food on sale were better organised for quick turn around. Not so for the privileged . The great Indian wedding ambiance prevailed.Grab, jostle, elbow and swallow as if it were the final contest for the Limca book of world record.
And so friends, if you are a senior citizen who is not used to traffic jams, exploding number of four/two wheelers on the roads, inefficient security and poor logistics, including just a glass of beer with no dinner to follow, sit on your favorite chair with your favourite drink and see clearly the close up of a game which you love along with competent analysis and a running commentary. You have the option to mute sounds that you do not approve of and even play back a recording. You do not have to swing your arms just to be part of a forced Mexican wave, which was never ending and the fear of losing your seat every time you were obliged to stand for the wave.
Long live IPL.It may not be as great a Teohar as it sounds on TV.
The relatively new stadium originally named after Sahara and now run by the Maharashtra Cricket Association sans the original name,is quite an imposing structure along side the Mumbai- Pune expressway- at the very entrance to Pune. But how does one get there in the first instance? Traffic and poor infrastructure just outside the stadium knocks out the excitement generated prior to the event. So what is new you might ask. The time taken to reach the stadium from the heart of Pune city in a rough bumper to bumper ride, took all of 3 hours and 20 minutes. That is the time taken to reach Mumbai from Pune on the express way. It is another matter that one tends to forget the journey once you are in the electrifying ambiance inside the stadium, when the great game of cricket starts.
Should an international standard infrastructure be attempted to get the spectators to the stadium in a reasonable time, the cost could be enormous.. So what is the next best option? Do the best that you can with what you have and let the spectators duly forget the experience after the event. After all how many matches of this stature are conducted in the stadium through the year. So what, if you have to struggle on a few occasions-whats the big deal! That attitude is precisely what separates us from the ones including China. An integrated plan ought to take all aspects of the game including access to the terminal facility. It implies that multiple stake holders including resource less Government agencies need to be brought on board. Sahara may have hired the best experts from around the world or those who have the expertise within, but then why would BCCI or Sahara fund the whole package of accessibility?
Will this pain of transportation be alleviated over a period of time? Perhaps. But the moot question is, was the optimum utilization of the stadium along with regular upkeep budgeted in the first instance? Just look at another swanky stadium called DY Patil which is reachable within 3 hours from Pune and that too located at the entrance to Navi Mumbai. Why was it built in the first instance? Who plays cricket there now?
And now the logistics of entry. Although scores of security and hospitality personnel were seen at the entry points, it did not take long to realize that they were ill equipped to guide those in trouble. When we finally blundered into our stand, which was by no means inexpensive, our marked seats were already occupied by flag wielding less than congenial, persons who were in no mood to discuss seating plan or the lack of it. They even claimed that they had thrown away their tickets(costing a few thousand rupees). It needed the intervention of a couple of bouncers to unseat them which meant moving them a few seats further away, You are expected to' manage' in the interest of the game-even if it meant sharing a single seat!
This puzzle of unauthorized occupation was solved the next morning. The Daily Mirror had a front page story of a ticket scam in which the ticketing agency, security and the organizers had a business model centered on touts.. That is another story which is unlikely to shock you, as this scam is minuscule compared to the G's that you are familiar with. The Indian rope trick of Scam versus Skill has recently been articulated in Canada too.
And now the food. Here the Mango man scored over those of us who had paid for our food or were promised complimentary goodies. Beverages and food on sale were better organised for quick turn around. Not so for the privileged . The great Indian wedding ambiance prevailed.Grab, jostle, elbow and swallow as if it were the final contest for the Limca book of world record.
And so friends, if you are a senior citizen who is not used to traffic jams, exploding number of four/two wheelers on the roads, inefficient security and poor logistics, including just a glass of beer with no dinner to follow, sit on your favorite chair with your favourite drink and see clearly the close up of a game which you love along with competent analysis and a running commentary. You have the option to mute sounds that you do not approve of and even play back a recording. You do not have to swing your arms just to be part of a forced Mexican wave, which was never ending and the fear of losing your seat every time you were obliged to stand for the wave.
Long live IPL.It may not be as great a Teohar as it sounds on TV.
