Chhatrasal Stadium is the Delhi government’s stadium at Model Town in north Delhi. It is run by the sports branch of the Directorate of Education, which also has its office there, and is best known for the wrestling akhara that has produced several of India’s Olympic, world and Commonwealth medallists. The stadium is also used for school sport, athletics and professional football.
Facility profile
- Official name: Chhatrasal Stadium (government documents also spell it Chhattrasal). It is named after Maharaja Chhatrasal, the 17th and 18th-century ruler of Bundelkhand
- Address: Chhatrasal Stadium, Model Town, Delhi 110009
- Operator: Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, through the Sports Branch of the Directorate of Education, whose office is at the stadium
- Contact: no general telephone number or email for the stadium is published. Enquire through the Directorate of Education’s sports branch
- Built: early 1980s; renovated for the 2010 Commonwealth Games
- Capacity: about 16,000
- Land area: not published
- Getting there: within walking distance of Model Town and Azadpur metro stations
The stadium has 13 entry gates, and a black marble figure of Chhatrasal stands near the entrance.
Infrastructure and facilities
The main arena has a grass field with an athletics track, which was replaced with a new track during the Commonwealth Games renovation. When the Directorate of Education opened the stadium to the public in January 2011, it listed these facilities:
- Indoor: gym and fitness centre, aerobics, billiards and snooker, table tennis, judo, taekwondo, chess and carrom
- Outdoor: athletics, football, archery, wrestling and yoga
The Directorate’s 2017 booking rates also list kabaddi and martial arts courts, basketball courts and a volleyball court in the outdoor play area, along with rooms, a conference hall and underground parking.
Wrestling
Chhatrasal’s akhara is directed by Satpal Singh, a Dronacharya awardee. Wrestlers who have trained there include Sushil Kumar, Yogeshwar Dutt, Bajrang Punia, Ravi Kumar Dahiya, Amit Kumar Dahiya and Aman Sehrawat, who between them have won medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
Football and other events
The stadium has hosted athletics, basketball, archery, football and kabaddi matches. Sudeva Delhi FC has played some of its I-League home matches here since 2022, and Delhi FC and Football Delhi competitions have also used the ground.
Timings and operational hours
The most detailed official timetable is in the Directorate of Education’s office memorandum of 14 January 2011, which set these hours:
| Activity | Summer | Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Members | 6.00am to 9.00am | 6.30am to 9.30am |
| Coaching | 3.00pm to 7.00pm | 2.30pm to 6.30pm |
| Gym | 7.00am to 11.00am and 3.00pm to 8.00pm | |
| Aerobics | 8.00am to 10.00am and 5.00pm to 7.00pm | |
| Hockey and football ground, organised games | 10.00am to 2.00pm on working days | |
The memorandum said the complex closes every Sunday, on Republic Day, Independence Day and Gandhi Jayanti, and on other days the Directorate may set with notice. In May 2022 the then Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, directed that all Delhi government sports facilities stay open for sportspersons until 10pm.
A Directorate of Education circular of 2022 lists coaching at Chhatrasal in athletics, basketball, kho-kho, wrestling, chess and yoga, in morning and evening sessions. Exact current hours are not published, so check before you go.
Charges, membership and booking
The Delhi government has not published a current fee schedule online. The figures below come from the 2011 memorandum, which said all charges would rise by 10 per cent every January, so today’s rates are likely to be higher. Treat them as a guide only.
| Membership (2011) | Entry fee | Monthly subscription | Dependant, monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Government servants | Rs 10,000 | Rs 500 | Rs 100 |
| Others | Rs 30,000 | Rs 1,000 | Rs 200 |
| Senior citizens (60 and over) | Rs 5,000 | Rs 400 | Rs 70 |
| Corporate, Indian company (one nominee, dependants included) | Rs 2,00,000 | Rs 3,000 | Included |
| Temporary, Indian (three months) | Rs 4,000 | Rs 500 | Not applicable |
| Special temporary (one year, dependants included) | Rs 7,000 | Not applicable | Included |
The memorandum also set separate rates for foreign citizens, non-resident Indians and foreign companies. Casual pay-and-play entry was Rs 100 a day for Indian citizens and Rs 300 for foreign citizens, at the in-charge’s discretion, and guests accompanied by a member paid Rs 100 a day.
Schools, colleges and institutions
Government schools and Directorate of Education zones use the facilities free. Schools run by the MCD, NDMC, Kendriya Vidyalayas, Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas and Delhi Cantonment pay half the listed rates, with a refundable security deposit. The 2011 rates for other users were:
| User | Mats, boards and football, per hour / month | Athletics track and field, per hour / month |
|---|---|---|
| Government-aided schools | Rs 50 / Rs 500 | Rs 200 / Rs 2,500 |
| Other schools and colleges | Rs 100 / Rs 750 | Rs 400 / Rs 5,000 |
| Government organisations and recognised associations | Rs 200 / Rs 2,500 | Rs 500 / Rs 7,500 |
| Other institutions | Rs 300 / Rs 3,500 | Rs 700 / Rs 10,000 |
| Foreign institutions | Rs 500 / Rs 6,000 | Rs 1,000 / Rs 15,000 |
A table tennis table cost Rs 200 a day for schools, colleges, associations and federations and Rs 400 for other institutions. An outdoor annual sports day or yoga event was Rs 10,000 a day plus a refundable deposit of Rs 30,000.
Venue hire
The Directorate’s 2017 memorandum, Revised booking rates of stadia of Sports Branch, set these rates for Chhatrasal:
| Facility | Educational institutions, federations, NGOs | Corporates, private companies, PSUs, embassies |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor facilities (track, ground and adjacent seating), per day | Rs 30,000 | |
| Kabaddi or martial arts court, each | Rs 5,000 | Rs 10,000 |
| Basketball court, each | Rs 8,000 | Rs 15,000 |
| Volleyball court | Rs 5,000 | Rs 10,000 |
Outdoor facilities are let between 9.30am and 3.30pm, outside training hours, and court bookings between 10.00am and 3.00pm. Rooms and the conference hall were Rs 2,000 or Rs 5,000 a room a day depending on the category of user, live telecasts Rs 15,000 or Rs 50,000 a day, and underground parking Rs 5,000 or Rs 10,000 a day. Every application carries a non-refundable processing fee of Rs 1,000 plus taxes and a security deposit of one day’s rent or Rs 50,000, whichever is higher, and must be made at least 15 days ahead. Events organised by Directorate of Education zones and districts are free, and no event may cancel or disrupt student practice. Booking rates rise by 10 per cent every January.
Urban and ecosystem context
Chhatrasal is one of the Delhi government stadiums run by the Directorate of Education’s sports branch, alongside Thyagaraj Stadium at INA and Ludlow Castle Sports Complex, the three venues covered by the 2011 memorandum. Its afternoon sessions were set aside for coaching students, government school students use it free, and a 2022 circular asked schools to send students and physical education teachers to the coaching on offer. Its wrestling akhara has produced Olympic, world, Asian and Commonwealth medallists, and the main ground gives north Delhi a venue for school athletics and I-League football.
Details were checked in November 2026. The fee tables are taken from the most recent official documents available and may be out of date; confirm charges, timings and access with the Directorate of Education’s sports branch before visiting.
Sources
- Chhatrasal Stadium – Wikipedia
- Opening of sports facilities at Thyagraj Stadium, Chhatrasal Stadium and Ludlow Castle Sports Complex – Directorate of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi, 14 January 2011 (PDF)
- Revised booking rates of stadia of Sports Branch – Directorate of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi, 2017 (PDF)
- Encouraging participation of schools in utilising sports infrastructure – Directorate of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi, 2022 (PDF)
- Sudeva Delhi FC – Wikipedia
- Kejriwal orders stadiums in Delhi to stay open till 10 pm – The Tribune, 26 May 2022
