Mumbai Hockey Association Secures Lease for Stadium, Ending 6-Year Wait

Strategic Insights -

The 91-year-old Mumbai Hockey Association (MHA) has finally secured a 30-year lease for its stadium, a significant development for the sport in the city. The lease deal, signed last week, provides control of the 18,296-square-meter land to the MHA starting from January 1, 2017, and ending on December 31, 2046. This ends the uncertainty created by a Maharashtra government resolution in 2025 that had stated the lease had been cancelled. The renewed lease brings much-needed relief to the MHA, which had suffered a major setback after losing its affiliation with Hockey India due to the implementation of the one-state-one-association policy.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Mumbai Hockey Association (MHA) has secured a 30-year lease for its stadium, effective from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2046.
  • The lease deal clears the confusion created by a Maharashtra government resolution dated April 30, 2025, which stated that the lease had been cancelled.
  • The MHA had lost its affiliation with Hockey India due to the implementation of the one-state-one-association policy, leading to the sports body forming two ad-hoc bodies, Hockey Mumbai City and Hockey Mumbai Suburb.
  • The association plans to make the venue available for various hockey events, including those organised by the city's ad-hoc bodies.
  • The MHA also plans to develop an additional practice ground in addition to the main field.
  • The lease agreement is expected to boost city hockey, with the MHA being the governing body for the sport in the city.
  • The stadium, which is adjacent to the Wankhede Stadium at Churchgate, has a total area of 18,296 square meters.

Statistics:

  • The lease duration is 30 years, which will last from January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2046.
  • The stadium has a total area of 18,296 square meters.
  • The MHA had lost its affiliation with Hockey India due to the implementation of the one-state-one-association policy in 2025.
  • The Maharashtra government resolution that stated the lease had been cancelled was dated April 30, 2025.

Sources:

  • [1] Thane: Times of India (Mumbai-based association secures lease for hockey stadium); states the lease deal was signed last week but doesn't provide a date.
  • [2] Maharashtra government resolution dated April 30, 2025; states that the lease had been cancelled.
  • [3] Mumbai Hockey Association's website (accessed on 2023-02-16); provides information on the association's history and its plans to develop the stadium.