With Hyderabad's vanishing playgrounds, a glorious past lost

Hyderabad: Observed across the globe on April 18, World Heritage Day celebrations this year -- centred around the theme 'Heritage of Sport' -- turned the spotlight once again on the vanishing playgrounds of Hyderabad. The theme, given the upcoming Rio Olympics, was chosen with the aim of raising awareness about sports "its values and, in some cases, the requirements for adequate protection".

City old-timers reminisced how Hyderabad, which had an envious cluster of grounds that nurtured a host of fi ne sportspersons, has lost many of its open spaces. Detailing an interesting fact, heritage expert Sajjad Shahid spoke about how the military campaign against the Nizam's dominions during 'Police Action' was said to have been code named 'Operation Polo' owing to presence of close to two dozen polo grounds across Hyderabad. What remains now is a painfully pale shadow of that glorious past.

"The Mallepally area, in particular, had multiple grounds: Bharat Ground, Zafar Shah Ground, Fani Ground, Moghal Ground, to name a few. And some of our best footballers trained here. Over the years, not only these playgrounds but even sporting legends have been conveniently forgotten," said Shahid, while highlighting the plight of Victory Play Ground (near Chaderghat) and dozens of similar spaces dotting urban pockets. "Apart from what remains of Fateh Maidan, most others have been completely or partially lost," he added.

Former Indian football team captain Victor Amalraj couldn't agree more. Speaking about a time when the sport came alive on the Bolarum grounds or Gymkhana grounds, he rued how these once sprawling open spaces have over the years been "converted into schools or completely ignored". Under the present circumstances, to imagine that Hyderabad sent an expansive football squad for two Olympics -- 1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome - is tough. "Nobody has cared to carry the legacy forward. Be it of the sports that were played here or the places that nurtured these sportspersons. It is extremely unfortunate," said Amalraj. India fi nished fourth (in football) in 1956.

"The absolute lack of concern for open spaces among authorities is distressing. There is just no control over encroachment. Worse, if you look in to land grabbing cases of open spaces over the last 15-20 years, most involve local political leaders," said conservation architect A Suryanarayana Murthy, adding, "Case in point is Khursheed Jah Deodhi near Shahgunj, which at one time had a sizeable open area. Now it has been taken over. So is the case with open spaces dotting other parts of Hyderabad," Murthy said. His suggestion is a push for more vertical growth so that the city's lung spaces - its playgrounds - can be saved from quiet burials.