Ten floors above the busy Begumpet traffic, a live football game is on. Hyderabad is the first city in South India to get two rooftop football pitches. “Hotfut” has been built on the 10th floor of the White House building, Block III adjacent, to Lifestyle, Begumpet.
Article by Coreena Suares | Deccan Chronicle
The surface of the pitch is lush green and leveled and the goalposts are painted a contrasting white. The pitch has been covered by rebound boards so that the players do not get hurt.
The two pitches, of 60x90ft playing space, are enclosed by durable, high quality nets 25-ft high. The pitches are ideal for five-a-side football (football where each team has five players) and the arena is open to all. The basic booking is for a single 1-hour slot, but people can make bulk advance bookings for multiple hours.
“The idea came to us as we have been footballers all our lives. We know of such terrace grounds in countries like Japan, Germany and Singapore and have seen and experienced some of them on our tours. We couldn’t miss the opportunity to bring it to our hometown Hyderabad. It took us five months to put up these two pitches along with the peripheral infrastructure. We will be formally opening it for customers next week,” said one of the developers, Danesh Mistry.
Youhan Mistry, the other partner, said, “The pitch has consistent bounce, and alloys for controlled ball roll. Its soft non-abrasive fibre and rubber in-fill make it safe to play and slide around. It offers far greater freedom of movement for all players. Along with the nets, the foam-padded rebound walls all along the pitch’s sides provide protection and a unique non-stop game environment that is sure to bring joy to all footballers.”
The organisers are open to the idea of booking the place for gully cricket, kabbadi, kho-kho, volleyball and any other sport, and also for corporate tournaments and leagues.
“This rooftop pitch is mainly for budding footballers and those who are unable to pursue their favourite sport for lack of grounds and playing spaces in the heart of the city,” added Ranjan Mathew, the third partner.