nearly 200 athletes including national and statelevel medallists who regularly train at the sree kanteerava stadium are waiting for the revamped new gym to be inaugurated so that they could use the facility last month we were told that it would be opened in june following a formal inauguration the new machines came three to four months ago but they are yet to be unpacked and are kept under lock and key so we are forced to use the old equipment at present most of the athletes go elsewhere for weight training as the weights and dumbbells are either missing or not usable a coach told toi last year the department of youth services and sports dyss placed an order for new equipment including two crosstrainers and a multigym following novembers strong protests by the coaches and athletes to highlight the plight of the facility at the stadium another coach said officials have not replaced basic equipment at the gym what they have bought are machines mainly used for fitness but the needs of top level athletes who do power training are different they should have replaced the old and dilapidated barbells dumbbells and weights instead of buying expensive machines he said athletes and coaches also complained that the upkeep of the stadium and security were poor the toilets were repaired following media reports but they are still in a bad condition there is no proper security and there have been reports of equipment from the gym going missing they said a noted coach also said that professional athletes found it difficult to train at the stadium in the morning as general public fitness enthusiasts too hit the synthetic track during that period it happens only here where top athletes cant use the track because of fitness enthusiasts we are unable to freely use the track till 8 am that is at a time when we need it the most the public can walk around the stadium but as there is no one to control their entry these walkers are all over the track he said meanwhile a dyss official disagreed with the coaches views and said the fitness centre at the sree kanteerava stadium is for the use of everyone it the gym is not exclusively for the athletes but for all sportsmen the department is planning to hire a fitness trainer who will be put in charge of the centre he said denying that delay in the opening of the gym was due to an inability to set a date for inauguration when told of the athletes plight the officer in charge of the stadium said he would look into the matter immediately we will solve this problem at the earliest said ramesh deputy director in dyss and incharge of the stadium management committee smc ramesh took charge of the smc following the retirement of jm appachu on may 31