MADURAI: Scores of athletes and other sports persons participated in a mini marathon, organised under the banner of Arasaradi Railway Sports Stadium and Railway Colony Land Protection Movement on Sunday to draw attention to their opposition to privatise railway ground located at Arasaradi in Madurai.
Su Venkatesan, Madurai MP, flagged off the mini marathon, which commenced at Arasaradi. The campaigners ran through TB road, Madurai Railway junction Road, Madura Coats Bridge and New Jail Road before concluding at Arasaradi.
Opposing the move to privatise the sports ground at Arasaradi, which’s located in the heart of Madurai city and its adjoining railway colony lands, for commercial purpose, the Madurai MP said many people are dependent on the railway ground with mature trees all around for oxygen and walk through green parks.
The sports ground in Arasaradi and the railway colony have over 1,500 trees and almost 5,000 persons were making use of the playground walking, jogging, running and playing a lot of games to lead a healthy lifestyle.
This sports ground produced several athletes, who won medals after competing in national and international levels. Citing these, Venkatesan said this playground is an asset of each and every person in Madurai and he appealed to the Centre to give up leasing the precious lands for commercialisation.
Further, Venkatesan said the people of Madurai would never allow the privatisation of this playground in Arasaradi. Already, a signature campaign was organised a couple of months ago at Arasaradi and scores of ground-goers, athletes and sportspersons joined the campaign by entering their names against the privatisation move.
G Thalapathi, Madurai North MLA, Solai M Raja, senior vice president of Tamil Nadu Olympic Association and G Gopalakrishnan, president, Madurai District Athletics Association presented certificates to the participants. R Sudalaimuthu, treasurer, Railway Land Protection Movement, was among those present in the programme, sources said.