Mumbai: The Amateur Riders Club (ARC) should remain incorporated in the Mahalaxmi Racecourse, demanded ex-BJP corporator from Colaba Makarand Narwekar as the BMC is all set to takeover 120-acre Racecourse land from the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) within a fortnight.
Currently, demarcation is being done jointly by both bodies. The plan is to have a central park on the lines of the one in New York. Expressing worry for the ARC's future, Narwekar underlined that it is the only club which provides training of equestrian sports and polo.
Writing to the BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani earlier this week, he demanded that the ARC should be incorporated in the new lease agreement of the Racecourse land. He urged the civic body to look at ARC's contribution before making the new lease agreement.
The Mumbai Central Park
For the proposed Mumbai Central Park, the BMC is likely to take over 120 acre of the RWITC land in the coming days.
"I have been following up on the issue of ARC's rehabilitation. Since 1942, the ARC has trained many generations of Mumbaikars in equestrian sports and polo. It is this club that has given Olympic, Asian games champions to the country," Narwekar asserted.
He continued, "Taking away the ARC will lead to our sporting talent getting deprived of the opportunities and rendering them directionless. Hence, the BMC should take this into account and incorporate the club in the new lease, which will ensure its existence. If the ARC is not given space in the new Racecourse, it will be a huge loss for the city. ARC, which has been operating since 1942 on the Racecourse land, has a sporting arena of an international standard. It's the only civilian club in India, which has the infrastructure for dressage, show jumping, mounted sport and polo."
