Mangaluru: Cultural extravaganza to mark Federation Cup inauguration

April 28, 2015

Mangaluru, Apr 28: Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim said that with 90 percent completion of all arrangements for the 19th Federation Cup – National Senior Athletics Championship 2015, scheduled to be inaugurated on Thursday, there was an overall upliftment of the stadium.

Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of the inaugural function of the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) centre at Mangala Stadium on Tuesday he said that this time athletics will arrive to compete in the athletics tournament exceeding the expectation.

Around 800-950 athletes are expected to participate in the event, he said, adding that the organising associations were expecting around 20,000 spectators during the events.

Although the forecast predicts light rainfall, none of the proceedings or competitive events will be hampered during the four-day tournament. There will be an extravagant two-hour cultural programme following the formal inaugural ceremony, he informed, adding that students of medical, engineering and professional colleges had been invited for the event.

Dakshina Kannada Athletics Association president Manjunath Bhandary said that around 30 athletes had already arrived in the city and 200 more would be arriving on Tuesday. Around 1,000 participating athletes will arrive in Mangaluru on Thursday, he informed.

Director for Sports and Youth Empowerment, Bengaluru H S Venkatesh, MLC Ivan D’Souza and others were present on the occasion.

Akso Read: Anti-doping centre inaugurated at Mangala Stadium ahead of athletics meet

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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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