The SAAP has formulated an action plan to modernize the Vijayawada Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium, currently under the control of the municipal corporation. Efforts are already being made to organize national games at this ground in the future, including the 2026 Khelo India Games.
This stadium, which has been a venue for political meetings for many years, will now be transformed into a full-fledged sports ground. The Vijayawada Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium, as it has been known in the past, has a rich history. Many mega events have been held at this ground.
It was the venue for the India- West Indies ODI match in 2002 and the National Junior Athletics Championship in 2004, 2007, and 2014. Many national- level competitions such as volleyball, netball, handball, and kabaddi have been held at this ground. However, such a historic play ground has been neglected for several years.
This stadium is used for political meetings, independence and republic day celebrations. The synthetic athletics track that was sanctioned here earlier was shifted to another district for various reasons. Sports associations have repeatedly appealed to the government to restrict this ground to games only, but to no avail.
Efforts are being made to hand over this ground, which is currently under the control of the municipal corporation, to the SAAP. The SAAP management is determined to convince the government to take over this stadium from the municipal corporation and develop it.
Efforts are being made to organize the Khelo India Games here in 2026. In the meantime, an action plan is being prepared with the aim of beautifying the stadium with an overall budget of Rs 60 crore, said SAAP Chairman Ravi Nidu.
“An action plan is being prepared to provide world- class sports facilities for various sports, including a synthetic track, a training track and a synthetic track on this ground. It has been proposed to make Vijayawada a sports hub across the state” said Ravi Naidu.