Thyagaraj Stadium, also spelt Thyagraj and formally the Thyagaraj Sports Complex, is the Delhi government’s indoor stadium at INA in south Delhi. Built for the netball competition of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, it is run by the sports branch of the Directorate of Education and is used for school sport, public memberships, Pro Kabaddi League matches and international events.
Facility profile
- Official name: Thyagaraj Sports Complex (the Directorate of Education uses Thyagraj Stadium and Thyagraj Sports Complex)
- Address: Thyagraj Sports Complex, INA, New Delhi 110023
- Operator: Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi, through the Sports Branch of the Directorate of Education. The sports branch’s office is at Chhatrasal Stadium, Model Town, Delhi 110009
- Contact: no general telephone number or email for the stadium is published. Enquire through the Directorate of Education’s sports branch
- Inaugurated: 2 April 2010 by the then Chief Minister, Sheila Dikshit
- Cost: Rs 300 crore
- Land area: 16.5 acres
- Design: PTM of Australia with Kapoor and Associates of Delhi
The stadium is named after Thyagaraja, the 18th-century Telugu poet and composer of Carnatic music.
Infrastructure and facilities
Published seating figures do not agree: one gives 4,494 seats plus 1,200 open seats, another a seating capacity of 5,883. No official capacity figure is published by the Delhi government, so treat the capacity as about 5,000 to 6,000.
The building has a reinforced concrete frame with a steel roof and a central arena with maple wood flooring. It was designed as a model green venue and holds a Gold rating from the Indian Green Building Council. Its green features include fly-ash bricks, rainwater harvesting, a sewage treatment plant of 200,000 litres a day, solar-powered lighting, building-integrated solar panels that can feed power to the grid, and a 2.5 MW dual-fuel gas turbine for back-up power.
Published fee schedules show the complex offering table tennis, badminton, hard and synthetic tennis courts, a gym, aerobics, an air-conditioned indoor hall, a practice hall and outdoor grounds.
Events hosted
- Netball at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, 4 to 14 October 2010;
- the fourth Comic Con India, 7 to 9 February 2014;
- the India Open table tennis tournament in 2017;
- Pro Kabaddi League matches as the home ground of Dabang Delhi, including the Delhi leg and the play-offs and final of Season 12;
- the 22nd Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships, 27 July to 2 August 2026, organised by the Delhi government with the Table Tennis Federation of India.
Timings and operational hours
The most detailed official timetable is in the Directorate of Education’s office memorandum of 14 January 2011, which opened the stadium to the public. It set these hours:
| Activity | Summer | Winter |
|---|---|---|
| Members | 6.00am to 9.00am | 6.30am to 9.30am |
| Free coaching for students | 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 | |
The same memorandum said the complex closes on Sundays and on three national holidays. In May 2022, after complaints that athletes were being asked to finish training early, the then Chief Minister, Arvind Kejriwal, directed that Delhi government sports facilities stay open for sportspersons until 10pm. No newer timetable has been published, so check current hours before you go.
Charges, membership and booking
The Delhi government has not published a current fee schedule online. The figures below come from the Directorate of Education’s 2011 memorandum, which also 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.
| Individual 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 | Rs 5,000 | Rs 400 | Rs 70 |
The 2011 memorandum also listed corporate membership (Rs 2,00,000 entry and Rs 3,000 a month, dependants included), three-month temporary membership (Rs 4,000 entry and Rs 500 a month), one-year special temporary membership (Rs 7,000), and guest and casual pay-and-play entry at Rs 100 a day. Courts and tables for schools, colleges and associations were Rs 200 a day for a table tennis table, Rs 600 for a badminton court and Rs 200 or Rs 600 for a hard or synthetic tennis court, with double rates for other institutions.
In May 2015 the Delhi government announced a Pay and Play scheme for its stadiums from 6.00am to 9.30am, free for school students and people with disabilities and Rs 100 a month per discipline for people up to 45. Thyagraj already had a membership system in place at the time.
Venue hire
A later Directorate of Education memorandum, Revised booking rates of stadia of Sports Branch (2017), set these daily rates for Thyagraj:
| Use | Rate per day |
|---|---|
| Indoor hall, sports, government bodies and schools | Rs 18,000 |
| Indoor hall, sports, private schools and colleges | Rs 36,000 |
| Indoor hall, non-sports, educational institutions and NGOs | Rs 1,25,000 |
| Commercial, non-ticketed | Rs 3,00,000 |
| Commercial, ticketed | Rs 5,00,000 |
| Outdoor facility | Rs 30,000 |
| Practice hall (whole hall) | Rs 20,000 |
| Air-conditioning, indoor hall | Rs 30,000 (sports) or Rs 45,000 (other categories) |
The memorandum adds a non-refundable processing fee of Rs 1,000 plus taxes, a security deposit of one day’s rent or Rs 50,000, whichever is higher, and an eight-hour booking window of 9.00am to 5.00pm. Applications must be made at least 15 days ahead. Directorate of Education schools are exempt from the processing fee and deposit.
Urban and ecosystem context
Thyagaraj is run by the Directorate of Education’s sports branch alongside Chhatrasal Stadium and Ludlow Castle Sports Complex, the three venues covered by its 2011 memorandum. Its afternoon sessions were set aside in 2011 for free coaching of students, and it is used for inter-zonal school table tennis and selection trials for the National School Games. Since 2010 it has also hosted professional and international indoor events, from Pro Kabaddi to the 2026 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships.
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
- Thyagaraj Sports Complex – 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)
- Inter Zonal Table Tennis competition 2019-20 circular – Directorate of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi (PDF)
- Delhi govt to launch Pay & Play Scheme to promote sports – Business Standard (PTI), 19 May 2015
- Kejriwal orders stadiums in Delhi to stay open till 10 pm – The Tribune, 26 May 2022
- Thyagaraj Stadium to host the Delhi Leg and then the PKL 12 Playoffs – UNI
- Delhi to host Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship 2026 at Thyagraj Stadium – News on AIR, 7 May 2026
