GUWAHATI, Nov 16: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday inaugurated the Amingaon Cricket Ground and pavilion, developed by Assam Cricket Association (ACA), at Kumar Bhaskar Barman Khetra in North Guwahati.
The ground will host its first BCCI-approved domestic match to be played between Meghalaya and Sikkim from Wednesday.
The BCCI, upon inspection, has already approved the Amingaon Cricket Ground as a recognised BCCI venue for hosting age-group and women’s cricket tournaments from the current season onwards.
The Indian cricket board has also allotted seven matches of the BCCI under-25 men’s state A one-day tournament, slated to begin from November 17.
Speaking on the momentous occasion, Sarma lauded the ambitious efforts of the Assam Cricket Association to notch up the scenario of cricket infrastructure of the state.
The picturesque Amingaon Cricket Ground, along with other facilities built therein, will not only be a great addition to the existing cricket infrastructure of the city, but will also aid the state in organising various cricket matches.
At the same time, the chief minister underscored the pressing need of producing many more quality cricket players from Assam and also urged the ACA to develop a state-of-the-art cricket academy to groom our upcoming cricketers.
“We have already earmarked Rs 150 crore for building a new sports complex at Chandrapur, on the outskirts of the city, to provide best facilities to our sportspersons. Besides, 52 new stadiums are coming up across the state,” Sarma informed.
It must be mentioned here that the Assam Cricket Association has recently undertaken a series of cricket infrastructure development projects across the state to take the cricketing landscape of Assam to greater heights, besides setting the stage for the emergence of many more quality players from the state.
Addressing the gathering, Assam sports and youth affairs minister, Bimal Borah lauded the initiatives taken by ACA for the development of the game and also spoke about the state government’s commitment for all-round development of sports in Assam.