‘Semi High Altitude’ playground in Pokhara

POKHARA: A semi-high altitude playground with infrastructure will be constructed in Mauja of Ward No. 20 of Pokhara Metropolitan City. The Mauja is the highest point of Pokhara Metropolitan City. It lies at an altitude of 1,650 meters above sea level.

Mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City Man Bahadur GC and Gandaki State Assembly Member Bindukumar Thapa jointly laid the foundation stone of the high mountain playground on Saturday. The Pokhara Metropolitan City has started work from the budget allocated in the current FY 2021/22 to develop the high mountain playground infrastructure and develop it as a training ground for national and international level sports.

The City has prepared a detailed project report (DPR) of Rs. 160 million for the construction of sports infrastructure including football, volleyball and basketball on 56 ropanis of land in Toyandhap Danda of Mauja, said GC. The DPR states that infrastructure including football field (eleven side), basketball court, volleyball court, changing room, natural parapet with a capacity of two thousand spectators, kitchen and toilet will be constructed.

Mayor GC said that Rs.5 million has been allocated for the preliminary works as fencing, ground leveling in the current fiscal year. He said, “The playground will help in the promotion of tourism through sports in Pokhara, one of the best places in the world.”

From the field, we can see the scenery of Machhapuchre and Annapurna mountain ranges. The Pokhara Bazaar area, the beautiful settlement of Madi village and the beauty of the green forest will fascinate the tourists visiting this area and will prove to be a cornerstone in the development of sports tourism, said the metropolis.

Gandaki State Assembly member Thapa expressed commitment to take necessary initiative on behalf of the state government for the playground.

Ward Chairman Seem Gurung said that they have a plan to conduct closed training of the national football team by completing the construction of the playground. He said, “There is a plan to conduct football training in the lap of the mountains in a rural environment with organic paraphernalia. We are confident that this will give a positive result to Nepal’s football. ”

Chief Engineer Sharada Mohan Kafle of the Metropolitan Planning Division said that the construction of the playground would be taken forward as a multi-year plan and an annual budget would be allocated.