Upgraded MA Stadium to open on January 15

Vikas Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 12

Constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 42.17 crore according to the norms of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the upgraded/renovated Maulana Azad (MA) Stadium in Jammu is all set for its much awaited inauguration on January 15 by Girish Chander Murmu, Lieutenant-Governor of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

The project was undertaken under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) and was executed by the National Projects Construction Corporation (NPCC). The stadium situated in the heart of Jammu city is upgraded to make it eligible for hosting international-level matches, including Indian Premier League (IPL). The sitting capacity of the stadium is around 20,000.

Naseem Javed Choudhary, Secretary, J&K Sports Council, told The Tribune, “Yes, the upgraded MA Stadium will be inaugurated by the Lieutenant Governor on January 15.” When asked about the prospects of hosting international cricket matches and IPL matches at the venue, Choudhary replied, “For hosting international matches, we have already signed a memorandum of understanding with the BCCI, wherein the maintenance of the stadium is the responsibility of the Indian cricket board as they have ample funds at their disposal. As far as sharing of profit earned by the stadium from hosting the matches is concerned, we have suggested a sharing ratio of 25:75 i.e. 25 per cent is of the Sports Council and 75 per cent of the BCCI”.

Choudhary hoped that the stadium which was earlier utilised for only domestic-level matches will usher in a new era in terms of upgrading of sports infrastructure not just in cricket but in all sports disciplines wherein a number of youth from the Union Territory have brought laurels.

However, the budding cricketers attending practice session at different venues have expressed happiness over the formal inauguration of the upgraded stadium on January 15. “It was the long pending demand of every cricketer in J&K to have an international standard stadium. We are happy that the UT Government has finally conceded it”, Mayank, a cricketer said.

“Earlier, we used to go to the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) stadium at Dharamsala in Himachal Pradesh to watch international and IPL matches, but now we have our own stadium to host such matches which is a great news not only for cricket lovers but for every citizen of J&K”, Sohan, another cricketer, said.