mid-day SPECIAL: Before Mumbai wakes, Borivali’s young skaters risk their lives to train

Parents of skating students in Borivali West have alleged that the closure of coaching activities at the Pavan Dham skating facility has forced children to practise on public roads at odd hours raising serious safety concernsFor nearly a year hundreds of children including state national and internationallevel skaters have reportedly been training on roads in Gorai and nearby areas after coaching at the BMC ground was stopped Parents claim they now wake up as early as 2 am clean roads remove garbage and stand like traffic marshals while children practise to avoid accidentsThe skating basketball and boxing facility near Pavan Dham developed through former BJP MLA Sunil Ranersquos funds has become a major sports hub for children aged between 5 and 20Crisis at a glancegtgt Coaching activities shut since May 30 2025gtgt Parents waking up for practice Around 2 amgtgt Families travelling for training Virar Palghar Khopoli Punegtgt BMC usage fee Around Rs 134 per hourParents allegeSafety concernsgtgt Children forced to practise on public roadsgtgt Parents manually stopping traffic during practicegtgt Risk of accidentsgtgt Lack of professional coaching increases injury risksFinancial burdengtgt Extra costs for transport and coachinggtgt Working parents adjusting work schedules sleep cyclesTraining setbacksgtgt Several children reportedly stopped practisinggtgt Athletes losing access to professional infrastructuregtgt Students struggling to balance training school and travelParents demand reopening of rinkOther parents including Jitendra Chauhan Bhavin Shah and Vishal Vedwala said the closure has disrupted training Parents said they are now travelling to Virar Pune for practiceldquoThe BMC allows practice by charging around Rs 134 per hour but coaches are not permitted Without proper coaching children cannot learn professional techniquesrdquo parents saidThey have appealed to the Maharashtra government BMC and local representatives to reopen the Pavan Dham skating facility with coaching supportWhat the MLA saidMLA Sanjay Upadhyay said that the playground was developed using MLA funds with the intention that even the poorest children could benefit from it However he alleged that some individuals later turned it into a private commercial setup He said ldquoAll have equal access Earlier large grounds were used for commercial events and later left in poor condition after which the BMC had to restore them That is why the system is being revisedrdquoExplaining the current status he said ldquoAt present a new policy is being finalised on how BMC gardens and playgrounds should be used costeffectively and properly Until that policy is decided no permanent permissions are being granted If children want to train they can use the BMC grounds by paying the prescribed charges We have no issue with children The problem arises when some people try to create pressure through different meansrdquoBMCrsquos standA BMC R South ward official saidgtgt A new playground policy is under preparationgtgt Skating practice is currently allowed on an hourly paymentgtgt Permissions will be streamlined after the policy is finalisedThe official maintained that facilities can be used ldquoif proper applications are submitted and fees are paidrdquoWhy are skating coaches worriedCoach Raj Singh said Mumbai lacks dedicated skating infrastructure despite the sportrsquos rapid growthCoachrsquos key pointsgtgt Children as young as four are taking up skatinggtgt Indian athletes are winning worldlevel medalsgtgt Maharashtra lacks government support compared to other statesgtgt Many students train before dawn and go directly to schoolldquoMumbai lacks dedicated skating rinks and children are often forced to practise on roadsrdquoParents SpeakSandeep Rasankute works in banking sectorHis 13yearold son Advit mdash a Std VII student mdash has been skating for the past five years and has already won over 100 medals and 20 trophies at state and national competitionsldquoWe want authorities to understand the pain parents and children are going through because of the closure of the Pavan Dham playgroundrdquo he said ldquoPractising on roads is dangerous Traffic is beyond anyonersquos control and accidents can happen anytimeA proper skating ground provides safety discipline and professional coachingrdquoRasankute added that skating is a technical sport and a lack of proper training can lead to injuries fractures and longterm health issuesNimita Purani Borivli residentHer 15yearold son Rishit has been skating since Std I and has won medals at national and international events including competitions in Nepal and Thailand For the past nine years the family has followed a strict schedule mdash sleeping early and waking up around 2 am daily for practicePurani said parents now clean roads remove garbage and clear waterlogged patches before children begin training ldquoThere is no worldclass skating facility nearby now Because of the closure of the Pavan Dham rink we are forced to travel to Mira Road and Charkop for practicerdquo she saidAlleging that children are suffering because of disputes surrounding the ground she added ldquoThe children have talent but they lack facilities and government support Authorities should resolve their disputes and reopen the facilityrdquoShalu Mishra Gorai resident and writerShe reaches practice spots at around 230 am with her laptop and works from the roadside while supporting her sonrsquos training Her 12yearold son Atharva Agarwal has won more than 150 medals and represented Maharashtra and India at multiple eventsldquoEarlier the skating ground was functioning properly and children were getting proper support and trainingrdquo she said ldquoThe facility gave children a professional environment to prepare for competitions at state and national levelsrdquoHow the issue unfoldedYearDate DevelopmentPast 5 years Pavan Dham emerges as major skating hubEarlier Growelrsquos 101 Mall in Kandivali East also shutMay 30 2025 Coaching activities allegedly stoppedSince then Students shifted to roads and distant locationsPresent New BMC playground policy under preparation