Boy's plight moves U T Khader; assures treatment

January 5, 2014

Mangalore, Jan 5: Minister for Health and Family Welfare U T Khader had a surprise visitor on Saturday, during a closed-door meeting with top cops of the police department and local public representatives at Circuit House here.

Shivaraj, a 17-year-old with an amputated leg, had come all the way from Chamarajanagar district to Mangalore in anticipation of a meeting with the health minister and hopes of availing money for his treatment.

Talking to reporters, Shivraj said that after he underwent an operation nearly seven years ago to remove a tumour from his back, he developed a complication on his right leg and had to have it amputated at M S Ramaiah Memorial Hospital in Bangalore. “Now, the doctors tell me that even the left leg has to be amputated. I had been to Bangalore thrice in hopes of meeting the minister to ask for help. When I was unable to meet him there, I travelled to Mangalore after someone directed me here,” he said.

He said that he lost his mother when he was 11 months old and his father three years ago. His grandmother Madevamma, a daily-wage labourer, singlehandedly looks after and provides for him.

Following a meeting with media persons, the plight of the boy was brought to the notice of the minister who responded swiftly and offered to take the boy to Bangalore for possible treatment at Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Trauma and Orthopaedic Hospital.

Shivaraj, who has no means of informing his grandmother in Chamarajanagar, wanted to return home and promised to arrive at Bangalore on Monday for the treatment.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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