CM’s chopper parked on athletics track disrupts training of Haryana athletes in Gurgaon

Haryanvi athletes had to endure hardships and obstacles despite being celebrated by India for playing a major role in the country’s medal haul at the recently concluded Asian Games in Japan.

State-level athletes in Haryana lost access to the athletics track and regular training facility at the stadium because chief minister Nayab Singh Saini's official helicopter was parked in the middle of the ground following his return from his three-day Singapore tour, back to Chandigarh, reported TOI’s Anjali Singh.

However, this wasn’t the first time athletes had to face such hurdles with this facility, with chopper landings not being a recent phenomenon. Athletes said choppers land at the stadium for a day or two every month.


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A training session at the stadium was abruptly halted in March 2020 when the cricket arena was cleared for the landing of then Haryana Chief Minister Manohal Lal Khattar’s helicopter. Following which, stadium management stated they had formally petitioned authorities to construct an independent landing site.

The basketball and volleyball courts are unaffected by the helicopter landing, but the inner synthetic ground and the running track are closed off due to security protocols. Athletes said this directly affects their regular training.

"For athletes training continuously for competitions, even losing one or two days of practice is a significant loss," a player who trains at the stadium told TOI on the condition of anonymity.

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Photos of the red-and-white Airbus H145 D3 helicopter, parked next to the athletics track, hit social media on Wednesday, drawing comments on "VIP culture.”

TOI reported on a post by a player on X, which said that hundreds of state-level athletes train at the stadium every day and that for many of them it is the only available track. The post questioned the supersedence of VIP convenience over the training and ambition of athletes.

A parent, highlighting their frustration, told TOI that children traveled long distances across the city for training, only to be turned away when the track was abruptly shut.

A sports coach, who did not wish to be named, said a separate location should be identified for landing helicopters so that athletes did not have to stop their training

The coach further said several open spaces in the city could be explored for an alternative arrangement, the coach said.

"The stadium is meant for athletes' training and sporting activities. While the chief minister's security is important, players should not repeatedly be kept away from the ground because a helicopter needs to be parked," the coach added.

The Chief Minister’s helicopter frequently landed at the state-owned GDMA stadium for city visits, officials told TOI. The facility’s close proximity to the mini secretariat, PWD guesthouse, and IGI airport makes it an ideal area for landing.

Gurgaon has no state or civil aviation ministry; the sports stadium has remained the primary landing site for official helicopters. A planned 25-acre integrated helicopter hub in Global City—set to feature hangars, repair centers, and a heliport—remains stalled, though land transfer procedures via HSIIDC are under way.

According to CM's media adviser Rajeev Jaitly's statement to TOI, the helicopter landed at the stadium due to a snag and not as a standby measure.

"It was there for four days because of a machinery glitch that prevented it from taking off. Normally, whenever the helicopter is parked there, it takes off within half an hour. It does not remain there for days," he said.

(With inputs from TOI)