Top quality turf for the IFA Shield

Friday, 21. August 2009 - Swagatam Banerjee

The IFA Shield is scheduled to start in the last week of August and the buzz around Kolkata is that it is going to be a tough test for not only the teams but also the ground itself. Despite the dismal condition of the accessory facilities and approach areas, the field itself has never looked better in the last two decades.

Global market leaders FieldTurf had been entrusted with the job of providing the largest stadium in India with an international quality pitch so that football matches could be held under proper conditions even during the monsoons. Historically, the Saltlake Stadium has always resembled a mud wrestling arena in the monsoons and there have been instances when senior players have refused to take the field in view of the pathetic playing conditions. However, all that is expected to be a thing of the past as the stadium gears up for the prestigious IFA Shield with a new artificial turf in place.



IndianFootball.Com paid a visit to the Saltlake Stadium on Wednesday. Unfortunately, the terrible condition of the dugouts and the VVIP box as well as the rampant pilferage of pieces of the new turf by "unwanted visitors" drew more attention than the superb field nearing completion. In fact, the tired figure of a Canadian braving the sweltering heat and the uncomfortable humidity to put in the finishing touches was something the caretakers of the stadium should draw inspiration from.





We spoke to Mr. Mark, an expert brought in from Canada by FieldTurf, and asked him about the various doubts surrounding the use of an artificial turf for football matches in India. Mr. Mark was very confident that the installation of an artificial turf using "next-generation artificial grass" would be a big step forward for Indian football. "FieldTurf is used by some of the best clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Barcelona and more for their practice grounds; while Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, certain Major League Soccer venues in the US and the last two Under-20 World Cups have been played on such artificial surfaces," he said. The FieldTurf System uses polyethylene fibres which resemble natural grass held in place by an 'infill' containing silica sand and rubber on a polypropylene fabric backfill. This enables the turf to endure rugged usage.


When asked about the risk of injury to players due to the hard nature of the turf, he said, "Statistics from all over the world have shown that the incidence of injuries is lower when playing on artificial turf than on natural grass. The turf does not have undulations like a natural ground and the extensive drainage system ensures that it does not degenerate into a massive patch of mud during the monsoons. There is a slight inclination towards the sidelines from the centre which will enable the water to run off the pitch." Given the amount of rainfall in Kolkata in the past few days, we were pleasantly surprised to see that the ground was perfectly even and dry with no sign of waterlogging. A brief glance towards the space in front of the players' tunnel (the less said about it, the better) was proof enough that the drainage system in place for the pitch was of a different class altogether.


"FIFA officials will come in the month of September, after the IFA Shield," he continued. "They will bring instruments to check that the artificial turf meets the standards set by the international body. The idea is to have an artificial turf as similar to a top class natural field as technologically possible. So, the distance travelled by the ball on the ground, the bounce of the ball when dropped from a particular height and other such criteria will be measured meticulously and compared with the reference standards. FIFA wants to test the turf after a few matches are held on it so that it can be observed how the turf is holding up in Indian conditions. Hence, the official visit has been scheduled for September."

"It may seem strange to you that the edges of the turf are inverted and weighed down by bricks but we are actually trying to dry any water still present under the mat before giving the finishing touches," he explained. "I expect it to be completed by Friday and I am returning to Canada on the same day. Of course, the heavy rains and the problems caused by unwanted intruders have not made our job easy."

Relishing the velvety feel under our feet even as it started raining heavily, we could only dream about the prospect of electrifying football matches on an international quality turf in the near future. The only thing that bothered us as we looked at the green turf was the nightmare surrounding it! Hopefully, the concerned authorities will ensure that the quality of the turf and not the dismal condition of the surroundings becomes the talk of the town when the matches get underway in September.




(FieldTurf System graphic courtesy : www.FieldTurfIndia.com)