Chandigarh Administration Takes Over Sector 10 Tennis Complex From CLTA

The Chandigarh administration has ended its 38-year-long lease agreement with the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA) for the Sector 10 Tennis Complex. The lease, which was renewed in 2022 for a three-year term with a lease amount of Rs 4.70 lakh, ended on September 10. The administration had issued showcause notices to the CLTA due to four major issues, including subletting the complex for a cafe and running a pro-shop without proper rules.

The administration has decided to take over the complex and run it through the UT sports department. A UT sports department official confirmed the termination of the lease agreement, stating that the administration had found several issues with the CLTA's management of the complex. The official also mentioned that the CLTA had avoided explanations about the money earned from subletting the premises.

The Chandigarh sports department is planning to run the Tennis Complex, which will be similar to the Sector 42 Sports Complex, where the administration runs its own hockey and sports academies. The Sector 42 Hockey Academy has produced Olympic medallists like Rupinder Pal Singh, Gurjant Singh, and Sanjay Kumar, while the Sector 42 Football Academy has produced many international footballers.

The CLTA was formed in 1975 and held its tournaments from 1975 to 1987 at the Chandigarh Club or Panjab University tennis court. The stadium was designed by chief architect M N Sharma and chief engineer Kulbir Singh and was completed in 1979. In 1987, the CLTA got the stadium for a ten-year long lease from the UT administration, which was later renewed for 20 years in 1997 and then extended in 2017 for five years and eight months.

Key Takeaways:

The Chandigarh administration has ended the 38-year-long lease agreement with the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA) for the Sector 10 Tennis Complex.
The administration had issued showcause notices to the CLTA due to four major issues, including subletting the complex for a cafe and running a pro-shop without proper rules.
The Chandigarh sports department will take over the management of the Tennis Complex, which will be run similar to the Sector 42 Sports Complex.
The CLTA was formed in 1975 and has a long history of hosting tennis tournaments in Chandigarh.
The Sector 42 Hockey Academy has produced Olympic medallists, while the Sector 42 Football Academy has produced many international footballers.

Statistics:

The lease amount of Rs 4.70 lakh for the Tennis Complex was renewed in 2022.
The lease ended on September 10.
The CLTA had a 10-year long lease from the UT administration from 1987.
The lease was renewed for 20 years in 1997 and then extended in 2017 for five years and eight months.
The CLTA has hosted several Davis Cup ties, including India-Japan tie in 1990 and India-Australia Davis Cup, World Group, semi-final in 1993.

Sources:

The Indian Express
Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association (CLTA)