Gumma cricket ground to open on June 1

Tribune News Service

Shimla, May 25

All is set for the opening of the Gumma cricket ground located along the Giri river at 5,500 ft in the apple belt of Kotkhai that will provide a playing field to local youngsters who can play u-14, u-16 and u-19 matches. Even it can have the Ranji camp in the near future. Hamirpur BJP MP Anurag Thakur would inaugurate the Gumma cricket ground.

Dogged by a political row between the ruling Congress and the BJP, the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) has developed the cricket ground after it availed the land on lease from the Department of Youth Services and Sports for 99 years during the regime of the previous BJP government led by PK Dhumal.

Surender Thakur, president, Shimla district cricket association, said, “We are inviting public representatives, including local MLA and officials of the Sports Department, and those connected with sports for the inaugural function. It is not a political function, but a sports function to promote the game of cricket in the apple belt, which has a lot of potential.”

Anurag said the Gumma ground could be expanded so that national matches could be organised here in the near future. “We have already held inter-district u-14, u-16 and u-19 matches for which local hotels are booked for two months and we can have bigger matches for which we need a bigger stadium and there is scope to accommodate 10,000 people,” he added.

The cricket ground has come as a boon for youths of upper Shimla areas which have a lot of hidden talent and potential. “We will hunt the talent giving them an opportunity to play in international arena,” said HPCA spokesperson Mohit Sood. He said the Gumma ground had a small pavilion, two dressing rooms, practice area, four turf wickets. “The outfield is scrubbed by class-1 bermuda grass, used in Dharamsala ground that would give players international-level playing experience,” said Thakur.