HPCA stadium to have 2,200 additional seats

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, January 14

The Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) is adding seating capacity of 2200 in the Dharamsala international cricket stadium for the forthcoming T-20 World Cup. Dharamsala will host 10 matches during the World Cup in March, including the much-awaited match between India and Pakistan on March 19.

The general manager of the HPCA at Dharamsala Col (retd) Minhas said, “We intend to complete the construction for 2200 seats in the stadium by February 15. At present, the seating capacity of the Dharamsala cricket stadium is about 19,000. With the addition of new stands that are under construction the seating capacity would increase to about 21,000. The seats that are being added are of the student category as we want that more and more local youth enjoy cricket matches here,” Col Minhas said.

The T-20 World Cup matches at Dharamsala will be played from March 9 to 24.

More than 5,000 vehicles from the adjoining states reach Dharamsala during the international matches. The result is that almost all the roads are chocked and the district administration has to force one-way traffic in the town and ply local buses for ferrying commuters.

Generally, there was shortage of hotel rooms and tourists fail to find room in restaurants during match days. Many of them fail to find place in hotels, guest houses and restaurants. The police find it hard to control such large influx of tourists.

Another problem before the HPCA is accommodating local spectators. Most of the tickets for international cricket matches hosted here are sold online and very few are left at the counter. This peeves locals as they fail to watch matches.

Congress leader and state president of ex-servicemen league of Dharamsala Vijai Singh Mankotia has demanded that since two soldiers from Kangra had attained martyrdom in the terrorist attack on Pathankot air base, the India-Pakistan match should be shifted from Dharamsala.