6 Best Outdoor Stadiums in India – National Sports Day

29th August is celebrated as National Sports Day in India. India has been a pioneer in hosting various types of sports. Football, cricket, athletics, badminton, lawn tennis, table tennis, hockey, and many more to name. India's recent performance in Olympics 2021 has been highly appreciated. The stadiums in India are equipped with modern technologies facilitating easy hosting of the various types of sports. I felt like sharing some of the key stadiums in India with my readers and friends.

Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan or Salt Lake Stadium in kolkata

Vivekananda Yuba Bharati Krirangan is one of the popular stadiums in India. Popularly known as Salt Lake Stadium, it has a huge seating capacity of almost 85000. Acknowledged as the second-largest stadium in India, it has hosted several national and international football tournaments. The stadium was iconic in hosting the U-17 2017 World Cup. The first match of the Indian Super League (ISL), was played in this stadium. World renowned football superstar Lionel Messi has entertained his fans in a friendly match between Argentina and Venezuela, hosted at the stadium.

The stadium has 9 entry gates, 2 electronic scoreboards, and 30 ramps for reaching the seating blocks. Besides, there are elevators, VIP enclosures, floodlights, rooftop VIP rooms, and many more. The stadium is located 10 km from the downtown area of Kolkata, hence you can reach comfortably by bus or a cab.

Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi

Named after the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi is one of the iconic stadiums in India. It has a seating capacity of 60254. In India the stadium is ranked 4th in terms of its seating capacity; while in Asia its 27th. The stadium had been designed and constructed for athletic events. The 1982 Asian Games, the 1989 Asian Championships in Athletics and the 2010 Commonwealth Games were the key ones. The entire stadium was renovated before hosting the Commonwealth games, transforming it to its grand look.

Besides sports events, the stadium has been significant in the organization of several music concerts and programs. Football league matches, and cricket tournaments are also held at the stadium.

Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad

Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad is a cricket arena. Renamed now to Narendra Modi Stadium, as a mark of respect to the contribution of improvising the stadium by the current Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi. Accommodating a capacity of 1,32,000 spectators, more than that of Melbourne cricket stadium. The stadium has witnessed some historic events in the Indian Cricket. Indian iconic batsman Sunil Gavaskar reached the 10,000 runs mark in Test cricket. Former Indian captain and fast bowler Kapil Dev claimed his 432nd Test wicket and was then the highest wicket taker in 1994.

The unique part of the stadium is both the main and the practice pitches of the stadium has soil surfaces. There are a total of 11 pitches on the cricket ground. The location of the stadium is beautiful, at the banks of the river Sabarmati.

Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai

Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is a notable cricket stadium in India. Several domestic and international cricket tournaments have been hosted in the stadium. It has a seating capacity of 33108 and 8 stands. Two of them being named on the famous cricketers of India – Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar. India till now has hosted 3 Cricket One Day International World Cups in 1987, 1996 and 2011. The stadium played a crucial role in organizing several matches in each of them.

A unique characteristic of the stadium is its suspended cantilever roofs. The roofs made of Teflon fabric is light in weight and heat resistant. Due to its suspended structure with no beam support, the spectators are ensured a better view of the matches. The stadium has 20 elevators for both the North and South stands. 

Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi

Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi is one of the oldest stadiums in India. It has now been renamed as Arun Jaitley stadium, after Late Arun Jaitley, former Finance minister of India. The ground is still named as Feroz Shah Kotla, significantly named due to its proximity to the Kotla Fort. The stadium has hosted numerous cricket matches of the One Day International World Cups and the Twenty20 internationals. There are 4 stands in the cricket ground, named after former India captain Bishan Singh Bedi, players Mohinder Amarnath and Gautam Gambhir and the current Indian captain Virat Kohli.

The stadium has witnessed several achievements and feats by the Indian cricketers.

Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru

Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru is also a cricket stadium. The location of the stadium is mind-blowing, being present at the side of the scenic Cubbon Park. It has a seating capacity of 40,000, hosting a bounty of domestic and international cricket matches. The uniqueness of the stadium is the solar panels used to generate significant amount of electricity for lighting up the stadium.

Besides, the stadium also hosted the 1996 Miss World pageant.

India has plethora of stadiums hosting several tournaments and matches. The country takes pride in its sporting events.