Gauritar Cricket Ground Inaugurated, Bagmati Cup T-20 Cricket Tournament Begins

Makwanpur. The Gauritar Cricket Ground constructed in Gauritar, Hetauda is to be inaugurated today. The program is scheduled for Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniyan of Bagmati Province to inaugurate the cricket ground on Sunday afternoon.

The Bagmati Province Sports Development Council, Hetauda informed that the inauguration of the ground, constructed with the budget of the provincial government, is scheduled to be held through a program. According to the council, the cricket ground at Hetauda's Gauritar stadium was prepared with the investment of the provincial government last Baishakh.

Council member secretary Deepak Lama stated that an international standard cricket ground has been prepared at the Gauritar stadium located in Hetauda-6, which was laid its foundation stone about 16 years ago and had been left in limbo. The cricket ground, constructed according to international standards with 5 pitches, has been completed as a prestigious project of the provincial government.

The construction work of the ground, which started two years ago, was completed by the end of Baishakh of the current fiscal year. According to member secretary Lama, a total of 11 crore 74 lakh rupees have been spent on the construction of the cricket ground. The contract for the construction of the ground was taken by SNS-PL-HKC JV through a contract agreement on Chaitra 20, 2080.

The ground has a playing field of 70 meters radius (140 meters diameter). An modern underground drainage system has been installed in it, and quality 'Bermuda grass' has been planted in the ground. Member secretary Lama stated that its leveling work is currently underway. 5 well-equipped pitches have been constructed in the ground, and in the first phase, a parapet with a capacity of 600 spectators, VIP room, players' changing room, media room, television and radio broadcasting room, and disability-friendly structures have been constructed, he said.

According to him, there is a plan to expand the parapet in four blocks to accommodate 6,000 spectators in the next phase. He stated that collaboration has been done with the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) to strengthen the technical aspects of the ground.

Currently, within the stadium, an international standard 50-meter long main pond and a 25-meter training pond have been constructed at a cost of 6 crore 1 lakh 75 thousand. In this stadium, where a VIP block with a capacity of 400 spectators has also been constructed, the construction work of the football ground and parapet has reached the final stage.

On Jestha 28, 2066, the then Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal had laid the foundation stone for the Gauritar stadium with the goal of completing it within 5 years. The project, estimated to cost 2.50 billion rupees, was limited to a tortoise's pace in its initial 8 years due to receiving only 5 crore rupees in budget.

Bagmati Cup T-20 Cricket Tournament from Today

The Bagmati Cup T-20 Cricket Tournament is also starting today, Sunday. The tournament is being organized jointly by the Bagmati Province Sports Development Council and the Makwanpur Cricket Association from today.

In the opening match of the tournament on Sunday, Makwanpur and Chitwan will compete. Makwanpur had already announced its 14-member team under the captaincy of Shubh Kansakar on Thursday. The tournament will be conducted in a league system. After the group stage matches, the group winner and runner-up will play the final.

Six districts of Bagmati Province, Makwanpur, Chitwan, Nuwakot, Lalitpur, Bhaktapur, and Kathmandu, which have received official recognition from the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN), are participating in the tournament. The tournament will be conducted until Jestha 26.