Mendipathar Salpara stadium to finally get turf

Resubelpara, May 1: In a major reason for cheer for lovers of the sport of cricket in Garo Hills, the Salpara Stadium in Mendipathar in North Garo Hills (NGH), one of the most picturesque venues where cricket is played, will finally get a turf for players to develop their game.
The Salpara stadium is one of the most widely used stadiums in the Garo Hills region, with daily matches being played during cricket season. The stadium hosts over 80 matches during the season of all formats and is actually a part of the Mendipathar College compound.
As per sources, the Meghalaya Cricket Association (MCA) and by extension, the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) has been interested in developing the stadium into a full-fledged cricket stadium but teething problems with the college administration has remained.
The matter saw a slight deviation with the current MLA, Marthon J Sangma favouring the development of a stadium after which the administration relented to an extent. However they only provided a NOC for the development of a turf within the stadium but remain non committal over long time usage.
“This is a welcome move and all cricket lovers welcome the fact that we will finally get turf wickets instead of matted ones. As part of the NGH District Cricket Association (DCA), we really want to thank our local MLA, Marthon J Sangma, the Principal and Governing Body of Mendipathar College for their support in realizing the dreams of every cricket lover of the region,” said president, Sengnab Momin who felt the move would benefit players by providing them with a quality playing surface that meets competitive standards.