Jammu cricket stadium, a crashed dream of cricket lovers

Jammu cricket stadium, a crashed dream of cricket lovers
Yash Khajuria	7/2/2011 7:21:21 PM
JAMMU, July 2: Though officials claims that work on the multi-crore cricket stadium at Sidhra will start after the end of monsoon, but sources said that it is unlikely that it will proceed ahead as so far Board of Control of Cricket in India (BCCI) has not shown any interest in funding the project.  Sources said that though they are giving lip service to the state government, but it is unlikely that they will invest money in the project, in a state which is politically unstable and remain in headlines due to Kashmir issue.  Though 512 kanals of land has been transferred to JKCA by state government, but in absence of the funds at the disposal of the cricketing body, it will take years before the work starts on the cricket stadium, allowing the people here to enjoy the thrill and watch the international matches.  If highly placed sources are to be believed, Union Minister Farooq Abdullah, who is also head of the JKCA is not much pursuing the matter with the BCCI, keeping in view the lack of interest among the power members of the cricketing body.Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had agreed to sanction the funding for the construction and development of the stadium which was approximately Rs.75 crores, but nothing much has been done.  “What can he do, as BCCI has not taken much interest in the project and has so far offered lip service. To some extent the project is almost in cold storage, and we just hear routine rumblings”, sources claim.  The construction of an international cricket stadium in Sidhra, near Jammu city had been a dream project which was announced in 2008, with view to attract investment and bring Jammu and Kashmir on the international cricket map.  “Another reason why the project is not pursued is that political situation in the state due to Kashmir imbroglio. No government want that any of the international cricketing game is disrupted and political issues is brought before the world media”, said a source.  In the absence of cricket stadium aspiring cricketers of Jammu are dependent to eat the dust and toil hard by practicing at the worn-out multi-purpose MA Stadium by which the budding cricketers are being deprived to improve their skills and standard due to such low standard cricket ground at the M.A. Stadium.  Not only this, events like Ranji trophy and other national level fixtures, allotted to the state in the past, were held at the same venue are much to the embarrassment of professional players.  The only cricket stadium of international standard which has been established at the summer capital Srinagar. However, due to the disturbances in the valley, no international cricket match could take place at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium, Srinagar, since 1990.  In order to bring the international cricketing events in the state again and to uplift the sports culture, in 2008, Gulam Nabi Azad Chief Minister at that time and JKCA president Farooq Abdullah had conceived the idea of having a cricket stadium with all kinds of modern facilities of international standards in Jammu on the lines of Mohali.  However when contacted Ranjeet Karla, former J&K Cricketer and member State Cricket Board said that the work will start after the monsoon. However he refused to comment further.