HYDERABAD: The top brass of Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has every reason to smile. With the successful conduct of the first-ever one-day international at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium in Uppal between India and South Africa last week, it was richer by Rs. 2.5 crores. With the BCCI enhancing the annual grant to Rs. 3 crores, a major chunk of it coming as share from the TV rights the Board earned, HCA is now optimistic of completing the stadium in all aspects by October next.

"Effectively, the only focus is increasing the capacity from 29,000 to 55,000 for the next big match. Budget should not be a problem," says a senior official of HCA. With the HCA executive committee deciding to fix the membership fee of the Club House at the stadium at Rs. 1.5 lakhs per member, things certainly look rosy.

Though the issue of re-naming the stadium was amicably solved, the focus now shifts on how to get back the Rs. 4.5 crores due to the HCA from the Government.

Tapping sponsors

The HCA is looking at the Government to tap sponsors instead of paying the money directly and as early as possible. "We have set a target of eight months to complete the stadium in all aspects, may be taking up floodlighting in the third phase," the official said. To illustrate that the HCA is sitting pretty on the financial front, it is pointed out that it had paid another Rs. 1 crore to a bank towards clearing the loan it took for the construction.

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