Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports denies Kambala link to ongoing works at Sathagalli
Mysuru: As bushes and vegetation are being cleared at Sathagalli, adjacent to the Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU) Regional Centre along the Outer Ring Road (ORR), speculation has been rife that the site is being readied for the proposed Dasara Kambala.
Although the State Government is yet to make an official announcement about hosting the event, the ongoing work at the site has fuelled speculation that preparations are already underway.
However, the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES) has dismissed the claims, stating that the work is part of the preliminary process for constructing a cycle velodrome and a multi-sports complex.
According to Bhaskar Nayak, Assistant Director of the Department, the proposed sports infrastructure will come up on 17 acres and 35 guntas of Mysuru Development Authority (MDA) land spread across Survey Nos. 85, 88, 106 and 107 at Sathagalli.
Land leased free of cost
Preliminary work, including the clearing of bushes and overgrown vegetation, has begun at the site, while the Department has initiated the process of preparing detailed cost estimates for the project.
The State Government has decided to lease the MDA land to the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports free of cost for a period of 30 years to facilitate the project. The State Budget for 2024-25 had earmarked Rs. 10 crore for the construction of the cycle velodrome.
The proposed sports complex is expected to become Mysuru’s second major sports hub after Chamundi Vihar Stadium in Nazarbad.
Apart from the cycle velodrome, the project includes a football stadium, water sports training centre, four badminton courts, an outdoor basketball court, four lawn tennis courts, volleyball and wrestling facilities, a kho kho academy and a 200-metre athletics track, among other amenities.
‘Forest, Police officials informed’
Responding to speculation that the land-clearing exercise was linked to the proposed Kambala, Bhaskar Nayak said, Forest and Police Departments had already been informed about the sports infrastructure project.
He clarified that the ongoing work was exclusively for the cycle velodrome and sports complex and not for organising Kambala, as alleged by some environmentalists. He also maintained that no trees were being felled for the project.
Nayak said, the layout plan for the cycle velodrome and sports complex had already been prepared and a graphical model would be developed once the site boundaries and key design features were finalised.
On the proposed Dasara Kambala, he said, no final decision had been taken on the venue. While three to four locations are under consideration by the Government, the Sathagalli land earmarked for the sports complex is not among the shortlisted sites, he added.
FIR against DYES officials
An FIR has been registered against officials of the DYES in connection with the felling of trees. Despite this, work at the site has continued, prompting questions from activists over the pace of the investigation and the response of the authorities.
Several organisations, including the Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha, Dalit Sangharsha Samiti, Parisarakkaagi Naavu, Bhoomi Thayi Horata Samiti and Team Mysuru, have opposed the proposal and warned of intensified protests if the Government proceeds with plans to hold Kambala as part of the Dasara festivities.
This post was published on July 14, 2026 7:30 pm