Overview
- The chief minister’s official helicopter occupied Tau Devi Lal Stadium’s running track for about three to four days and was removed Wednesday after Nayab Singh Saini returned from his Singapore visit.
- Haryana sports officials closed the inner synthetic ground and running track for security while the aircraft was on site, preventing hundreds of state-level athletes from using their main local training facility.
- The Chief Minister’s Office called the stay the result of a machinery glitch, while stadium managers and the district sports office gave differing accounts about who authorised parking on the grounds.
- Officials and local sources said Gurugram has no government helipad and that parking at Delhi’s airports would add costs, which authorities say made the nearby stadium a convenient option.
- Athletes and coaches say this is a recurring problem that disrupts training schedules, and the episode has renewed calls for clear authorization rules and a dedicated helipad or other procedures to protect sporting access.