Director of the Karnataka State Cricket Academy Syed Kirmani said here on Wednesday that they were looking for 25 acres of land in Mangalore to build a cricket stadium of international standards.
The academy functions under the Karnataka State Cricket Association.
He told presspersons that the academy was planning to set up its office in the stadium and impart cricket coaching.
Mr. Kirmani said that he met Deputy Commissioner V. Ponnuraj on Wednesday and placed the demand for the land.
He said that the academy, set up five years ago, had remained non-functional so far. The academy was revived a month ago and it would take up activities aimed at promoting cricket, mainly coaching, in the six zones of the association.
Asked why the academy had remained non-functional all these years, he said: “I don’t know the reasons for it.”
The former India wicket-keeper said that under-14 cricket coaching camp had begun simultaneously in the six zones of the association, including Mangalore, on Tuesday. Coaching camps would be held for players of other age groups from the next season. The academy would train promising cricketers from each zone at an advanced camp to be held in Bangalore soon, Mr. Kirmani said.
Karthik Jeswanth, one of the chief coaches of the academy, said that the academy had been revived for ensuring uniformity in cricket coaching in the State. It would also organise training programmes for coaches, with assistance from the National Cricket Academy and prominent cricketers in Bangalore, he said.
Manohar Amin, convener of the Mangalore zone of the association, said that selection camps for under-14 players were held at Madikeri, Udupi and Kundapur this year.
