Xtra Time Web Desk: The newly built Sardar Patel Stadium was on Wednesday renamed after Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India. The revamped stadium was inaugurated by the Honourable President of India, Ram Nath Kovind.
Home Minister Amit Shah and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju, along with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah, were also present at the event. The Narendra Modi Stadium will be the largest cricket ground in the world, even bigger compared to the capacity of the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia. The capacity of the new stadium is 110000. The stadium will be a part of the planned Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave in the city.
“This stadium was conceptualised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat. He was president of the Gujarat Cricket Association at that time,” President Kovind said in his address after the inauguration.
“This stadium is an example of eco-friendly development,” he added.
“1,32,000 people can sit and watch cricket here at the Narendra Modi Stadium which ahs been inaugurated by the President. This will be the world’s biggest sports stadium,” Home Minister Amit Shah said at the event.
“Coupled with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave and Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, a sports complex will also be built in Naranpura. These three will be equipped to host any international sports event,” he said.
“Ahmedabad will be known as the ‘sports city’ of India,” he added.
“Olympic Games can also be held here,” Amit Shah said about the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave.
“Not just for cricket but it’s a proud moment for India. Besides being the largest cricket stadium, it’s also one of the most modern stadiums in the world,” Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said earlier.
“As children, we used to dream about the world’s largest stadium in India. And now as sports minister, my happiness knows no bounds that this has finally happened,” he had said.
The stadium held the knockout stages of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this year.
Apart from staging the ongoing Pink Ball Test, the Narendra Modi Stadium will also host the fourth and final test match of the series followed by the five T20Is between India and England.