GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister (CM) Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday, February 24, said that the Nehru Stadium in Guwahati can be used for other sports besides cricket after the Ranji Trophy is over.
Speaking to the media, CM Sarma said that the Assam Cricket Association has taken the Nehru Stadium only for the Ranji Trophy, which lasts for 15 days.
Earlier this month, the All Assam Football Players Association staged a protest due to the lack of football grounds in Guwahati, which forced the halting of all activities related to the popular sport. The Association highlighted that all the sports grounds of the city are only dedicated to cricket.
“At times when national-level sports are played in the State, one sport should accommodate the other. I have already asked the Director of Sports to give priority to football once the Ranji Trophy is over,” CM Sarma further said.
In 2020, the Board of Sports in Assam, the custodian of the stadium, revived cricket facilities in Nehru Stadium in collaboration with the Assam Cricket Association, which made the football players in the State feel neglected.