Our Sports Reporter
GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the permanent site of the Assam Cricket Association’s Cricket Academy (ACA) and the Gauhati Town Club’s (GTC) Football Academy at Fulung in North Guwahati on Saturday.
Both campus are international standard and equipped with all modern facilitates including players hostel and floodlight. Campus of the Assam Cricket Association’s Cricket Academy has been equipped with 10 practice wickets, a cricket ground with five centre wickets, one of the largest indoor cricket halls in the country with 10 wickets along with residential facilities for players, and provisions for technical directors, coaches, and other staff. Similarly, the Gauhati Town Club’s Football Academy has been provided with two football grounds, a 60-bed hostel, and a football pavilion.
Inaugurating the complex Dr. Sarma said that through these two academies, a major sporting infrastructure for both football and cricket has been created to support and encourage budding sportspersons. He added that with systematic training, guidance from national and international standard coaches, and regular monitoring, positive outcomes could be expected, thereby fulfilling the purpose of establishing the academies.
The Chief Minister noted that until 2003-04, Assam had no advanced sports infrastructure other than the Nehru Stadium in Guwahati and another stadium in Jorhat. At present, however, the state has developed facilities beyond immediate need. Referring to projects undertaken during and after the National Games, he highlighted the cricket stadium at Barsapara built with BCCI support, the construction of a stadium and a swimming pool at Amingaon, and plans to reconstruct the Nehru Stadium into a FIFA-standard football stadium at an estimated cost of Rs. 700 crores.
He further mentioned that a stadium larger than Sarusajai and the biggest in Assam is under construction at Dibrugarh, while a football stadium and another stadium are being built in Kokrajhar and Jorhat at expenditures of Rs 160 cr and Rs 200 cr respectively.
Dr. Sarma further stated that in the next two to three years, several large companies are expected to set up operations in Assam and have shown interest in sponsoring sports infrastructure, particularly academies.
Referring to the three training and rehabilitation centres established at Jorhat, Guwahati, and Kokrajhar in collaboration with Abhinav Futuristics Pvt. Ltd., he said that Abhinav Bindra himself had observed that these facilities are among the best in the country, though he expressed concern that the centre at Sarusajai has not been adequately utilised.
The event was also attended by Minister of Irrigation etc. Ashok Singhal, MLA Diganta Kalita, NRL’s Director of Operations Bhaskar Jyoti Phukan, BCCI Secretary and Gauhati Town Club secretary Devajit Saikia, former Ranji cricketer Naba Kamal Bhuyan, along with several dignitaries, sports organisers, players, coaches, and guardians.
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