Delhi stadium a mess after Diljit concert, athlete shares video of damage

Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium saw garbage and alcohol bottles strewn around after singer Diljit Dosanjh’s concert held on October 26 and 27. Tracks of the stadium were found littered with athletes complaining about broken equipment. Beant Singh, a Delhi-based middle distance runner, posted a video on Instagram from the stadium, questioning the authorities for letting the crowd litter the entire stadium with food and drinks. He also alleged that the athletes would not be allowed to train in the facility for the next 10 days.
The middle-distance runner alleged that equipment used by young athletes had been destroyed during the event. Singh said in a video interview to India Today that his complaint was not against the singer, but against the organisers who had been keeping the stadium shut for training over the past 7 days.
“Indian athletes have been shown their level (aukat). Budding athletes practice here but people had alcohol, danced and partied at this place. Due to this, the stadium will remain closed for 10 days. The athletics equipment like the hurdles have been broken and thrown here and there,” Beant Singh said in the video.

The athlete also said the incident shows disrespect towards athletes in the country.
“This is the situation of sport, sportspersons and stadiums in India. There will be geniuses who will point out once in four years that medals do not come in the Olympics. This is because there is no respect and support for sportspersons in this country,” he said.
At the time of publishing of this report, no state or nantinal or international event is going on in JLN. The athletes present at the stadium are part of the come and play beneficiary scheme, which is for children who are just starting out. Some videos on social media showed these athletes trying to clean the littered area.
According to the contract between Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Saregama India, one of the organisers of the event, the stadium has to be handed over in ready condition by November 1. At least 70,000 people attended the concert over two days and the cleaning will take at least 24 hours. The stadium is expected to be cleaned up by October 29.
Diljit Dosanjh’s concert in Delhi, part of his ‘Dil-Luminati Tour 2024’, garnered a mix of enthusiastic praise and criticism from attendees. The show was marked by Diljit Dosanjh’s energetic performance, featuring his popular hits such as ‘Born To Shine’, ‘5 Taara’, ‘Do You Know’, and ‘Ikk Kudi’. Fans praised the concert, describing it as “the best night of my life” and highlighting the crazy and fun atmosphere of the event.
However, not all attendees had a positive experience. Several fans complained about the poor management and arrangements at the venue, including chaotic entry and exit procedures, the early sell-out of alcohol, and difficulties in accessing food. One fan noted, “Attended Diljit’s concert, and while his performance was fire, the management was a complete fail. From entry to exit, it was chaos.
Additionally, there were complaints about ticketing issues, with some fans alleging that the organisers engaged in scalping and malpractice, leading to tickets becoming unavailable quickly and being resold at inflated prices. A Delhi-based law student even filed a legal notice against the organisers for violating consumer rights.