The Kerala Cricket Association (KCA) is gearing up to commission its first own stadium in the State at Krishnagiri near Meenangadi in Wayanad district.
Governor Nikhil Kumar will dedicate the stadium to the nation at 4.30 a.m. on December 17. The stadium has been constructed on a 4.4-hectare land with lush green surroundings by the side of the Kozhikode-Mysore national highway 212 at a cost of Rs.6.5 crore.
This is the first high altitude stadium in south India. A similar stadium had been commissioned at Dharmasala in Himachal Pradesh, K.R. Balakrishnan, treasurer, KCA, told The Hindu . This was also the first own stadium of the KCA in the State exclusively for cricket, he said.
All cricket matches, except international matches, could be conducted here, he said. All modern facilities had been incorporated in the stadium, including drainage facilities, on par with international standards. ‘‘We have set up a natural pavilion like the one in New Zealand and South Africa,’’ Mr. Balakrishnan said adding that the capacity of the stadium is 10,000.
It took nearly four years to complete the construction work of the eco-friendly stadium. The KCA was planning to set up volley ball and basket ball courts as well as a swimming pool on the land soon, for which the KCA had acquired one acre of land adjacent to it to extend the facilities to other sports associations, Mr. Balakrishnan said
A road show would be held on Tuesday and it would conclude at the Srekandappa stadium at Meenangadi. A four-day cricket match between Mumbai and Kerala for the Cooch Behar Trophy (under 19) would be held from December 29, Mr. Balakrishnan said.
