Ludhiana: State basketball tourney opens with one court still under repair

The sub-junior Punjab state basketball championship began at Guru Nanak Stadium on Friday, August 1, 2026, after being shifted from Kirpalsagar Academy, Rahon, due to waterlogging from heavy rainfall.

One of the two indoor basketball courts at Guru Nanak Stadium remains under repair because of defects in the imported maple wooden flooring, raising construction quality concerns.

The stadium project, initially approved at ₹11.26 crore and revised to around ₹14.38 crore, was completed in 2025 after construction delays that began in March 2023.

Punjab Basketball Academy general secretary Teja Singh Dhaliwal earlier sought an independent inquiry, alleging improper construction of the base beneath the maple flooring.

Municipal commissioner Ojasvi Alankar stated repairs to the first court should be completed within 10 days, with work on the second court taking about a month.