President Ram Nath Kovind inaugurated the newly revamped Motera cricket stadium in Ahmedabad, which has now been renamed the Narendra Modi Stadium, on Wednesday. To attend the ceremony, Home Minister Amit Shah and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju were also present along with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah. The Narendra Modi Stadium is hosting its first international match on Wednesday when India will take on England in the Day-Night Test.
The stadium will be a part of the planned Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave in the city. During the inauguration, President Kovind said, “This stadium was conceptualized by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat. He was president of the Gujarat Cricket Association at that time. This stadium is an example of eco-friendly development.”
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On the other hand, Amit Shah said, “Coupled with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave and Narendra Modi Stadium in Motera, a sports complex will also be built-in Naranpura. These three will be equipped to host any international sports event. Ahmedabad will be known as the ‘sports city’ of India. Olympic Games can also be held here.”
While the inauguration of Sardar Vallabhai Patel conclave, Sports Minister, Kiren Rikiku said, “Not just for cricket but it’s a proud moment for India. Besides being the largest cricket stadium, it’s also one of the most modern stadiums in the world. As children, we used to dream about the world’s largest stadium in India. And now as sports minister, my happiness knows no bounds that this has finally happened.”
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The president also performed the ground-breaking ceremony for a sports complex in the stadium, to be named Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel sports enclave, for disciplines such as football, hockey, basketball, Kabbadi, boxing, and lawn tennis among others.
Here is a sample of the reactions on Twitter.
It’s going to be a spinning wicket for sure as it is named after Indias greatest spinner 🙂
— Vikram Sathaye (@vikramsathaye) February 24, 2021
There will be no press conference at the Narendra Modi cricket stadium.
— Silly Point (@FarziCricketer) February 24, 2021
Tea breaks at the Narendra Modi stadium will be nostalgic.
— डी.के. (@itsdhruvism) February 24, 2021
Stadium Narendra Modi's pitch is sandwiched between Adani and Reliance 🙈🙊🙉 pic.twitter.com/TEYZLYSDiL
— Sarcasm ™️ (@SarcasticRofl) February 24, 2021
So it’s now the Na Motera
— Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee) February 24, 2021
To be fair, this was expected from a stadium whose seats form what looks like a giant saffron lotus.
— Karthik Krishnaswamy (@the_kk) February 24, 2021
Worried whether he will have to change his name to Axar Modi.
— K Balakumar (@kbalakumar) February 24, 2021
Motera stadium to be renamed ‘Narendra Modi Stadium’ today #MoteraCricketStadium pic.twitter.com/LISU8LCEol
— Prayag (@theprayagtiwari) February 24, 2021
"People earlier tried their best to ensure that the contribution of Sardar Patel was forgotten and diminished." – Narendra Modi, 31 October 2017. https://t.co/2CcllOGI8i
— Ravi Nair (@t_d_h_nair) February 24, 2021
kohli to reach his 71st ton with his mann ki bat
— Kohli’s 71st ton (@samtanisonali1) February 24, 2021
Bhakt who used to mock the naming of Stadium after Rajiv and Nehru
Are now Justifying the naming of stadium after Narendra Modi
Hypocrisy much
— Nehr_who? (@Nher_who) February 24, 2021
Narendra Modi stadium! pic.twitter.com/KH4qjqApHs
— Cartoonist Alok (@caricatured) February 24, 2021
