India Sports City plans to toe Qatar-Australia

Article posted by Coliseum, November 26^th, 2025

Image: Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, 2ibkumar, CC BY-SA 4.0

In a major development for the Indian sports infrastructure the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium complex in New Delhi is set to be dismantled to make way for a state-of-the-art Sports City spread across 102 acres, Sports Ministry sources stated recently.

‘INDIA TODAY’ stated that the project aims to introduce world-class sporting facilities as India continues to push for the hosting rights of the Olympic Games in 2036.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is a multisports stadium located in New Delhi, India. Primarily a venue for football and athletics it is an all-seater 60,254-capacity stadium.

‘INDIA TODAY’ further stated that officials are currently studying infrastructure models from Qatar and Australia – two countries that have built modern, multipurpose sporting ecosystems capable of hosting major global events. However, there is no fixed timeline for the start of construction. The redevelopment will only begin after the assessments are complete and a final plan is approved.

The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, originally built for the 1982 Asian Games and later renovated for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, has long been one of India’s most iconic multisport venues. With a capacity of nearly 60,000 it has hosted major athletics events, football fixtures, large-scale concerts, and national ceremonies including the Independence Day functions. The stadium has historically served as the home venue for the national athletics team and has been a key landmark within India’s sporting history for over four decades.

Only earlier this year, the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in New Delhi hosted the World Para Athletics Championships. A mondo track was laid for the event costing up to Rs 30 crore.

The proposed Sports City is expected to feature elite training facilities, upgraded competition venues and athlete-centric high-performance centers designed to international standards. If approved in its planned form the project would stand among the most ambitious sports infrastructure upgrades undertaken in India.

The Doha (Qatar) Sports City is spread over 617 acres. It has facilities for football, aquatics and 13 different indoor sports besides an Academy. It also houses a specialized orthopaedic and sports medicine hospital.

Australia’s multipurpose facilities include the 53,343-capacity Docklands Stadium in Melbourne that can host cricket, Australian Rules football, rugby, cricket, and soccer.

Ahmedabad’s Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Complex is an example closer home having facilities for cricket, aquatics, tennis, and athletics among others. It is spread over 250 acres and was built at a cost of Rs 4600 crore.

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