Kanpur, 26 November (HS). The dilapidated Palika Stadium located in the heart of the city has created a new identity after its grand renovation. The ground of “The Sports Hub” (TSH), renovated by the positive initiative of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and the Municipal Corporation, is now giving a new identity to cricket. Developed as per modern facilities and international standards, this ground is now ready to host not only local but also international cricket. On Tuesday, in this historic ground, the cricket team of Uzbekistan played a match against CP XI under the captaincy of Police Commissioner Akhil Kumar. This match made not only Kanpur but the entire state proud.
It has now become possible to org.ze day-night matches in the Municipal Stadium. High-quality flood lights flood the ground, providing an immersive experience for both players and spectators. The ground has a 120-meter circular outfield, high-tech drainage and sprinkler system, three new pitches and four practice nets making it of international standard. The inaugural match held on October 19 itself proved that TSH is fully prepared to org.ze international cricket.
Last August, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had inaugurated the Palika Stadium during a meeting held at GIC grounds. He called it a big gift for the players and sports lovers of the city. This is the second ground in Kanpur after Green Park, where day-night matches can be played under international level flood lights. This will not only provide a platform to local players but will also prove useful for players from nearby districts.
Palika Stadium was rebuilt on BOT (Built Operate Transfer) model. The Municipal Corporation took this step to promote sports, in which both indoor and outdoor parts of the ground have been equipped with modern technology. Apart from cricket, facilities have also been developed for games like lawn tennis, pickle ball, volleyball and kabaddi. The stadium also includes facilities like multi-activity area, open gym in Fit India Zone, clay jogging track and movable sitting stands.
The biggest contribution of Palika Stadium is for the children of low income group. Every year 500 children will be given free cricket training by international coaches here. This initiative is an important step towards nurturing sports talent and providing them the platform they need to realize their dreams. The objective of this scheme is to promote those children in sports who do not get the right opportunities due to financial constraints.
Tuesday became a memorable day in the sports history of Kanpur, when TSH hosted the team of Uzbekistan. On the invitation of Chandan Agarwal of GD Goenka School, the Uzbekistan team played its first match in this state-of-the-art ground. This match was proof that this ground is suitable not only for local but also for international events. Earlier on October 19, the first match was played in TSH between TSH XI and CP XI. Now this stadium is ready for national and state level competitions.
The renovation of Palika Stadium has proved that the positive thinking of the government and the Municipal Corporation can take the sports culture to new heights. This is a boon for the players not only of Kanpur but of entire Uttar Pradesh. Holding an international team match on the TSH ground strengthens the possibility of even bigger events in the future. With this, Kanpur is creating its own identity on the global map of sports.
