Hyderabad: Telangana Government Advisor Mohammed Ali Shabbir said on Monday, 26 October, that the Indira Gandhi Stadium in Kamareddy will become a Kamareddy cricket training hub. The facility will offer professional coaching, practice nets, a quality pitch and competitive matches. He said the initiative aims to identify local sporting talent. It also seeks to help promising players from the district reach State and national-level cricket.
Shabbir is Advisor to the Telangana Government for SC, ST, OBC and Minorities. He inspected the stadium with Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) Secretary Jeevan Reddy and HCA CEO Imtiaz Khan. Together, they reviewed the existing facilities. They also discussed requirements for cricket practice, pitch construction, practice nets, coaching and equipment.
Shabbir said cricket has a strong following in Kamareddy. Several talented youngsters could emerge, he said, if they get proper coaching and modern facilities locally. Students with sporting ability should not miss out on quality training because of financial constraints, he added. The objective, he said, is to let talented youngsters find better opportunities in Kamareddy itself. They would then not depend entirely on facilities in larger cities.
HCA plans coaches, nets and Under-19 matches
The HCA will strengthen cricket facilities at the stadium in phases. The immediate plans include appointing private cricket coaches and installing three practice nets. They also include supplying the equipment needed for regular training. Shabbir said efforts will also be made to build a quality cricket pitch. The HCA will supervise coaching programmes and Under-19 matches, he added.
Jeevan Reddy said the HCA is taking steps, following Shabbir’s suggestions, to appoint private cricket coaches within a week. He said the association will install three practice nets and supply the required equipment. This will support regular coaching for local players. The HCA will discuss construction of a cricket pitch at its forthcoming meeting, he added.
The association will also examine a proposal to take the stadium under its supervision. It would then manage the stadium and its cricket-related activities, Jeevan Reddy said. He said efforts will be made to create the facilities needed for Under-19 matches. These measures, he said, would give young cricketers from Kamareddy structured coaching. They would also get more chances to play competitive cricket.
Shabbir said sports help instil discipline, determination, punctuality and teamwork among youth. Young people, he said, should excel not only in academics but also in sports. He pointed out that considerable sporting talent exists in both rural and urban areas. However, many youngsters cannot progress because they lack proper training platforms. The government, he said, will work to address this gap. It will do so through better sports infrastructure and coordination with the departments and sporting bodies concerned.
He said competitive cricket would give local players greater exposure and improve their understanding of the game. It would also let them demonstrate their talent. The government, he added, is giving priority to sports infrastructure. It will keep working with the departments concerned and sporting organisations. In his view, the Indira Gandhi Stadium should eventually become more than a playing ground. He wants it to be a training centre that produces talented cricketers from Kamareddy.
