Background
Shivalik School, founded by the visionary Late Sh. D.S. Bedi, is renowned for its commitment to sports excellence. Located in Mohali, this institution has nurtured numerous athletes, including Olympian Sukhbir Singh Gill, who have gone on to represent India both nationally and internationally. The school has cultivated a sporting culture where students with a casual interest in sports are encouraged to develop into professional players.
Over the years, Shivalik School has invested heavily in its sports infrastructure, boasting an indoor multi-sports complex, artificial turf multisport grounds, synthetic turf hockey fields, and basketball courts. These facilities have been equipped with the best surfaces and related infrastructure like fencing and lighting to support the school’s sporting vision.
The Need for the Project
Despite the robust facilities, the school’s multisport ground, primarily used for cricket and hockey, had deteriorated over time. The 15mm artificial turf, initially installed for multisport use, had worn out within four years, leading to numerous complaints from students. The lack of cushioning on the surface caused abrasions during play, particularly when players slid on the ground. This not only discouraged active participation but also posed a risk of injury. The school needed a long-lasting, safe, and versatile solution that could serve both cricket and football requirements.
Recognizing the need for a safer and more durable surface, the school approached Gallant Sports to propose a solution with an extended life span of 8-10 years while maintaining top-quality performance. The challenge was to ensure the new surface catered to both cricket and football needs while eliminating any risk of injury.
Gallant Sports’ Solution
Collection and analysis of information Gallant Sports evaluated the state of the existing turf and recommended 50mm football with sand and rubber shock pad. There was no other reason for choosing this ultra-sport turf from the CCgrass range but the fact that it was soft and had been known to have been used in over 50 schools throughout the country. The 50mm turf far provided the right measure of softness so that football players could slide without getting hurt while the same turf provided space for cricket to be played in the outfield.
To cater the specific need of cricket, a hybrid 10mm synthetic cricket pitch was laid down exactly in the middle of the field to get the expected bounce of the cricket ball. In addition to this, the level of cricket pitch and football turf was properly matched so that there can be smooth interchanging between the two without risks of tripping. Running tracks were painted on the yellow turf, so that no confusion with the white markings of a football field would be created.
Project Execution
The first stage involved the stripping off of the old and damaged turf together with levelling the old base. After plain scarifying had been done on the base surface, Gallant Sports constructed the cricket pitch first, making sure that it sat well with the supplied 50mm football turf. This alignment was very important to ensure that to minimise the dangers that were present when playing.
To ensure that the football turf lasts longer and provides optimal performance the 50mm football turf was installed with sand and rubber infill. Besides acting as shock absorbers, the sand and rubber layers ensured that the turf was strong enough to support intensive sport activities.
From demolition of the existing surface to construction of the new multisport turf the project was executed in thirty days. As much as Gallant Sports wanted to transfer all the safety benefits of rubber tiles to the school, they also wanted to enhance the play value of the tiles to the students.
Future Impact
The new look of the football field and box cricket practice area at Shivalik School provide the students the best sports experience where safety meets performance. The new surface will let students play with confidence because the turf also offers shocks in instances when the kids may fall down. Also, the ability to design the facility to allow for playing of both football and cricket is ideal since it would benefit the expanding sports programs in the school.
The school has planned the construction of a new hockey field and with the completion of this project Gallant sports is all set to offer similar high quality solutions for the upcoming field. requisite sports infrastructural facilities where students can be trained under professional setting making Shivalik School a centre for nurturing sports talents of tomorrow.