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Uppal stadium to make room for more
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Hyderabad Cricket Association is set to increase the seating capacity at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium to 55,000
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PHOTO: P. V SIVAKUMAR
MORE SPACE The BCCI has already released Rs 10 crore for the stadium project
The top brass of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) has decided to shift its focus to enhancing the seating capacity at the Rajiv Gandhi International cricket stadium in Uppal from the existing 29,000 to 55,000 at the earliest. The HCA is delighted with the BCCI's (Board of Control for Cricket in India) decision to increase the infrastructure grant to Rs.25 crore to each of the Associations affiliated to it. N. Shivlal Yadav, secretary of HCA, informed that the latest announcement by the BCCI could not have come at a more appropriate time. He said that the BCCI had already released Rs.10 crore for the stadium project and it would reimburse the balance Rs.15 crore, without any delay, on producing the statement of expenditure.
"We were hoping for this kind of development and since it has no strings attached, except spending the amount for the stadium project, we are pleased with the gesture," he explained.
Shivlal said that since there are no financial obligations to either to the Visaka Industries or to the State Government in renaming the stadium from Visaka International Stadium to Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium and that the HCA is at liberty to go ahead with the stadium works. "We have already completed the construction of the international standard swimming pool at the venue and will soon make all efforts to provide the best of facilities to the proposed Club House inside the stadium," he explained. On the renaming issue and the subsequent issue of financial settlement, Shivlal said that as far as his knowledge goes there is no financial commitment. "I am surprised about the news that the Government is considering paying crores of rupees back to the Visaka Group. As far as HCA is concerned, the issue is closed," he asserted.
The Visaka Group has agreed in principle not to insist on implementing the crucial clause in its MoU with HCA, which otherwise would have made the latter pay six times the total value (Rs.6.5 crore) if there was any change in the name of the stadium, he recalled.
For Shivlal, the focus has now shifted to increasing the capacity before showcasing the stadium for the next international match in the coming season. "My ultimate dream is to host a Test match here. After all, we have already staged the first international against South Africa in grand style," said a confident Shivlal.
V. V. SUBRAHMANYAM
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