The Nehrunagar poligras hockey stadium, which has hosted national tournaments and even a few international matches, is in the news again. A few years back, a cobbler stitching the playing mat had raised several eyebrows. This time, stray dogs have chewed off the shimmering mat surface causing a two feet long dent. A cluess sports department of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation is now running around trying to rope in a roadside "cobbler" who can undo the damage caused by the strays.

The two-feet long dent in the mat was apparently caused in the past one week by strays dogs which are present in big numbers in the MIDC area. As a result of the mat suffering the damage, the PCMC sports department has decided not to allow any matches or practice sessions to prevent any further damage.

Laying blame on security personnel for the damage, PCMC sports officer Razzaq Pansare said,"The mat surface has been chewed off by the strays who enter the stadium apparently without being stopped. Had the security being tight, this would not have happened," Razzaq said. The mat is 100 by 60 feet in size and has been imported from Germany.

PCMC sports chief Vishnu Jadhav however differs from Pansare's view. "I don't think strays dogs have caused the damage. We have two security personnel guarding the stadium round the clock," he said. Jadhav said the damage could have been caused during matches or the regular practice session last week. "A few days back when I inspected the stadium, the mat was in tact. I think the stitches might have come off, we will get them repaired from a cobbler," he said, adding that an investigation will be launched.