Ladakh: At the height of 11000 feet above the sea level the coldest desert in India, Ladakh, got its first synthetic football Astro turf last year under the Khelo India Program boasting not only the football culture but also providing a great deal of joy for the lovers of football across the Ladakh region.

The setting up of the world 's highest football stadium has brought immense happiness to people of Ladakh in general and football lovers in particular.

The open synthetic track and Astro-turf football stadium is the highest-altitude stadium in India and ranks among the top ten in the world. It was built at an elevation of 11,000 feet above sea level and can accommodate 30,000 spectators.

After Ladakh was given the status of a UT the central government is making every effort to strengthen the sports infrastructure here so that youth can avail profound opportunities and find good platforms in the domain of sports.

The size of the track and football turf has been constructed on 130 canals. This Astro Turf is located in Spituk in Ladakh. According to officials the cost for this turf is approximately 10 crores.

Astro-turf is an artificial grass-like turf which is not only aesthetically appealing but also designed to withstand the wear and tear of daily sporting events.

The General Secretary Ladakh Football Association Tsering Angmo told Rising Kashmir that the synthetic Astro turf in Ladakh can play a pivotal role in helping and carving the development of local talent.

Pertinent to mention a zero plastic policy, has been adopted to keep the turf pollution free. “According to the rules all players will carry water in their own customized aluminum water bottles, while players are voluntarily bound by their service agreements in measures such as rivulets and community awareness programs across the union territory of Ladakh”, he said.

District Sports officer Leh said that the Stadium is 7 Km away from Leh city.

In the stadium we have facilities available for Conducting of International standard Football Matches and Athletic events and we have got stands for around 5000 spectators available.

“The football stadium is the highest altitude stadium in the whole country, located 11 thousand feet above sea level. While it may seem a bit harsh on players, it is apparently a very important step towards its larger goals”, he said.

Last year on January 30 Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made a special mention about ultra modern sports infrastructure in Leh, in his Mann Ki Baat.

The PM said that such infrastructure will also create tremendous opportunities for employment, sports, and tourism in the region. 

Sports lover's of Ladakh believe that the construction of these sports related marvels would benefit them by all means. Many believed that with the setting up of these it would be easier for them to measure distance and speed accurately.

In their first outing after the Ladakh Football Association received the affiliation from the All India Football Association, Ladakh held Uttarakhand back to put out a 2-2 draw in the Santosh Trophy in the month of December.

Pertinent to mention the construction of the stadium had taken the internet by storm last year with netizens as well as officials coming up with all praise for it.

Last year Union Minister Anurag Thakur took to Twitter to share the picture of the football stadium and wrote, "This is NEW INDIA--Funded as part of Khelo India sports infrastructure; Open Stadium at Spituk, Leh, and Height 11,000 feet approx.

Kiran Rijiju, the Minister of Law and Justice had also tweeted about the stadium and said, Very satisfying to see the completion of sports projects in Ladakh in less than just two years despite the pandemic! PM Modi gave a clear direction to execute all the projects on time. These are funded under the Khelo India Scheme", he wrote.