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.”
The stadium held the knockout stages of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy earlier this year. The stadium is now set to host seven international matches in quick succession.
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The Narendra Modi Stadium will be hosting the last two Tests between India and England as well as the entirety of the five-match T20I series between the two sides.
