Ahmedabad:The first international match in Motera will be a test match between India and England on February 24. Ahead of this match, the stadium will be officially inaugurated on February 23rd.
According to sources President Ramnath Kovind and Home Minister Amit Shah are expected to be present at the inauguration event on February 23. PM Modi will be present virtually.
The England team, which is on a tour of India, will stay in Ahmedabad for about a month to play two test matches and five T-20 matches.
Know the special features of the world-class Motera stadium
The work on the construction of this Rs 800 crore state-of-the-art world-class stadium was started in the Sabarmati area of Ahmedabad in January 2017. The stadium, with a seating capacity of over 1,00,000 people, is bigger than the Melbourne stadium of Australia. This world-class stadium replaces the old Motera stadium which was completely demolished for this purpose. Gujarat Cricket Association accomplished the task of making this new stadium.
The stadium has many attractive features, including 75 corporate boxes and separate boxes for players, umpires and media persons. Besides, there is also a luxurious club house meant for players and spectators.
This is the first stadium in the country which has no pillars. This gives an unobstructed 360-degree view of the field to the spectators. The stadium has been equipped with ultra-modern light and sound system.
Since the Sardar Patel Stadium is located in Motera area of Ahmedabad’s Sabarmati, it is popularly known as Motera stadium.
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For the first time, LED lights have been installed in the stadium in place of the pole-mounted flood lights. These LED lights are mounted on a 90-metre tower which is equivalent to the height of a 25-storeyed building.
There are 11 pitches in the stadium made from red and black soil. The stadium has a sub-surface drainage system which would clear rainwater in less than 30 minutes to make the pitch fit for playing cricket.
There are 76 corporate boxes which no other stadium in the country has. Sports other than cricket such as football, hockey, kho-kho, kabaddi, volleyball, basketball, tennis and badminton can also be played in the stadium.
Besides the main ground, there are two cricket grounds for practice and a multi-sports ground. The facility of physiotherapy and hydrotherapy has also been provided at the stadium to attend to injured sportsmen.
The stadium has been so built that spectators can see without any obstruction a cricketer striking a four or a six. There is a food court near every stand. A cricket academy has also been given a space for young cricket enthusiasts.
Outside the stadium, space has been created to park 3,000 cars and 10,000 two-wheelers. No other stadium in the country has such a large parking facility.
The clubhouse has 55 rooms, facility of indoor and outdoor games, restaurant, an Olympic size swimming pool, gymnasium and a party area. The membership fee for the clubhouse is Rs 700,000.
The upcoming Metro train will provide connectivity to the stadium. Two separate cricket grounds have also been made in the small pavilion. The north pavilion is named after the Reliance Group while the south pavilion is named after the Adani Group.
Australian company Populous is the chief architect while L & T is the developer and STUP is the project consultant.
The stadium, which is the dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will become the object of pride for every Gujarati and a dream playground for every sportsman. Cricket aficionados the world over have been eagerly waiting to watch a cricket match being played in this stadium ever since its plan was announced.
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