The Chandigarh Sports Department has expressed its inability to give the Sector 16 cricket ground to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on long-term basis. The department, however, has agreed to let the Afghan cricket team use the facility on short-term basis.
The Indian government is helping war-torn Afghanistan in many areas, including sports. Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had conveyed to the president of Afghanistan about India’s support to the cause of Afghanistan cricket. ACB had approached the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) expressing desire to make one of the Indian grounds as their permanent home ground.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had written to the UT adviser on November 19, 2015, asking for comments of the administration. The letter read: “in order to honour the prime minister’s commitment, the BCCI has identified Sector 16 Cricket ground as an ideal ground, which may be used by ACB on long term basis.”
Consequently, UT Adviser Vijay Dev had sought a reply from the sports department. The latter, however, has expressed its inability to hand over the stadium to ACB on long-term basis on grounds that it will affect their cricketing activities.
UT Finance Secretary-cum-Sports Secretary Sarvjit Singh said that the administration had been running a cricket academy for boys at the stadium since 2007, besides running a coaching centre in which around 150 cricketers are imparted training. He said the ACB could use the ground on short-term basis for their matches and training camps. “The adviser will take the final call,” said Sarvjit Singh. The sports department also lets out the stadium for matches. The stadium, which was set up in 1966, has a seating capacity of around 30,000.
