Yet, in the forgetful world of one-timer stadiums, one stadium is proving it has what it takes to host one major event after another.
When the Coliseum in Rome was built many moons ago, it was an arena for Emperors. It was a place where the grandest spectacles took place, where chariot races culminated and where hapless gladiators were thrown to the lions. The Coliseum in Rome stood the test of time. Today, even in a state of ruin, it remains an attraction. In India we have a simple term for it. Paisa Vasool.
Modern Day sporting stadiums are not always built keeping in mind the larger picture. Many are constructed with a specific short-term goal in mind like a one-off sporting event. And then find themselves in a situation of disuse and disrepair. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi went from bad to worse after the 1982 Asian Games and it was only the 2010 Commonwealth Games nearly three decades later that was its saving grace. A few such glaring examples are also found among the hastily constructed stadia for the grand 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa.
There is, however, one stadium that saw action at the FIFA World Cup 2010 and is a glaring exception. A stadium where they saw the future well before the present. A stadium that on January 9, 2010, saw India and South Africa go head to head in a T20 International Cricket match – at the impressive Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Well before the first Jabulani was kicked at FIFA 2010, the organisers had already begun to plan for life after the World Cup. And this involved not merely speculating about possible future events and initiating the staging of some of them (such as the India-South Africa cricket match) but also finding daily activities that would make the stadium a tourist attraction all-year round. Already a visual landmark of the city thanks to its unique shape, the stadium offers expected facilities such as World Cup hangover tours and fabulous photo opportunities, but also some unexpected draws such as a cable car ride (you can even walk up if you are fit – and stupid – enough) to the very top of the dinosaur like arch roof of the stadium. However, the piece de resistance would have to be something that must be a first when it comes to stadium attractions. A bungee jump from the very top of the stadium that allows you to swing across much of the length of the stadium.
These unique attractions were planned even before any match kicked off at the World Cup as organisers knew that despite being in a big city (and not isolated like Polokwane), there would not be enough sporting events to keep the interest in the arena alive.
Recently at the Champions League cricket tournament, no visitor to the cricket at nearby Kingsmead Stadium felt that his or her visit to Durban was complete without a pilgrimage to the city’s football home. In fact, several members of the visiting Mumbai Indians squad (those not bound by BCCI ‘can’t do adventure sport’ clauses) actually took the plunge from the top of the stadium.
But the high point really, if you think about it (other than the precarious jump off point for the bungee), is just to imagine how many spots in the world can boast that within a space of six months, the likes of Christiano Ronaldo and Kaka on the one hand and MS Dhoni and Jacques Kallis on the other all graced the very same turf playing different sports at the very highest level for their countries! Talk about Paisa Vasool…
(Gautam Bhimani covered the Brazil vs. Portugal match at the FIFA World Cup 2010 at one of the world’s most unique sporting arenas. Three months later he visited the city for the Champions League and found that the stadium was still buzzing. It also hosted the India vs South Africa T20 match on January 9, 2011.)
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM ranks No 1 in International Exposure in the 'Third Mail Today B-School Survey'
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri
Kapil Sibal’s voters want Jan Lokpal, not Government-proposed Lokpal Bill
IIPM: What is E-PAT?
"Thorns to Competition" amongst the top 10 best sellers of the week.
IIPM RANKED NO.1 in MAIL TODAY B-SCHOOL RANKINGS
'Thorns to Competition' - You can order your copy online from here
IIPM Mumbai Campus
When the Coliseum in Rome was built many moons ago, it was an arena for Emperors. It was a place where the grandest spectacles took place, where chariot races culminated and where hapless gladiators were thrown to the lions. The Coliseum in Rome stood the test of time. Today, even in a state of ruin, it remains an attraction. In India we have a simple term for it. Paisa Vasool.
Modern Day sporting stadiums are not always built keeping in mind the larger picture. Many are constructed with a specific short-term goal in mind like a one-off sporting event. And then find themselves in a situation of disuse and disrepair. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi went from bad to worse after the 1982 Asian Games and it was only the 2010 Commonwealth Games nearly three decades later that was its saving grace. A few such glaring examples are also found among the hastily constructed stadia for the grand 2010 Football World Cup in South Africa.
There is, however, one stadium that saw action at the FIFA World Cup 2010 and is a glaring exception. A stadium where they saw the future well before the present. A stadium that on January 9, 2010, saw India and South Africa go head to head in a T20 International Cricket match – at the impressive Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Well before the first Jabulani was kicked at FIFA 2010, the organisers had already begun to plan for life after the World Cup. And this involved not merely speculating about possible future events and initiating the staging of some of them (such as the India-South Africa cricket match) but also finding daily activities that would make the stadium a tourist attraction all-year round. Already a visual landmark of the city thanks to its unique shape, the stadium offers expected facilities such as World Cup hangover tours and fabulous photo opportunities, but also some unexpected draws such as a cable car ride (you can even walk up if you are fit – and stupid – enough) to the very top of the dinosaur like arch roof of the stadium. However, the piece de resistance would have to be something that must be a first when it comes to stadium attractions. A bungee jump from the very top of the stadium that allows you to swing across much of the length of the stadium.
These unique attractions were planned even before any match kicked off at the World Cup as organisers knew that despite being in a big city (and not isolated like Polokwane), there would not be enough sporting events to keep the interest in the arena alive.
Recently at the Champions League cricket tournament, no visitor to the cricket at nearby Kingsmead Stadium felt that his or her visit to Durban was complete without a pilgrimage to the city’s football home. In fact, several members of the visiting Mumbai Indians squad (those not bound by BCCI ‘can’t do adventure sport’ clauses) actually took the plunge from the top of the stadium.
But the high point really, if you think about it (other than the precarious jump off point for the bungee), is just to imagine how many spots in the world can boast that within a space of six months, the likes of Christiano Ronaldo and Kaka on the one hand and MS Dhoni and Jacques Kallis on the other all graced the very same turf playing different sports at the very highest level for their countries! Talk about Paisa Vasool…
(Gautam Bhimani covered the Brazil vs. Portugal match at the FIFA World Cup 2010 at one of the world’s most unique sporting arenas. Three months later he visited the city for the Champions League and found that the stadium was still buzzing. It also hosted the India vs South Africa T20 match on January 9, 2011.)
For More IIPM Info, Visit below mentioned IIPM articles.
IIPM ranks No 1 in International Exposure in the 'Third Mail Today B-School Survey'
Management Guru Arindam Chaudhuri Dean Business School IIPM
IIPM Excom Prof Rajita Chaudhuri
Kapil Sibal’s voters want Jan Lokpal, not Government-proposed Lokpal Bill
IIPM: What is E-PAT?
"Thorns to Competition" amongst the top 10 best sellers of the week.
IIPM RANKED NO.1 in MAIL TODAY B-SCHOOL RANKINGS
'Thorns to Competition' - You can order your copy online from here
IIPM Mumbai Campus
No comments:
Post a Comment