18 Aug 2014
Indian government offers US$1m grant towards Afghanistan cricket stadium
BY Tom Walker
The Indian government has awarded Afghanistan's cricket board a US$1m grant toward the creation of a new cricket stadium in Aino Mena, Kandahar – a southern province of the country.
Exact facility details or the final cost of the stadium are yet to be decided and the project is still in its “fund-raising phase”.
It is understood that the venue – to be named Kandahar Cricket Stadium will act as regional centre of excellence for cricket as well as host international games.
The land for the stadium was donated to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) by Mehmood Karzai, the brother of Afghanistan’s president Hamid Karzai.
The ACB is currently constructing two international-standard cricket grounds in Kabul and the eastern province of Nangarhar.
President Hamid Karzai welcomed the grant by India. Speaking to Indian broadcaster NDTV, he said: "We welcome India's one million dollar assistance for a cricket stadium in Kandahar. We gratefully appreciate India's continuing commitment to the reconstruction of Afghanistan. India is a great and historical friend of Afghanistan and Afghans greatly value this friendship."
Cricket in Afghanistan:
• All sports were banned in Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001 when the country was ruled by the Taliban – an Islamic fundamentalist movement.
• Since the fall of the Taliban, cricket has quickly become the most popular sport in the country and the ACB has formed friendly ties with the Pakistan Cricket Board and the The Board Of Control For Cricket In India.
• Since its formation nine years ago, the Afghanistan national cricket team has rapidly risen the ranks of world cricket and is now knocking on the door of the top tier. It has already qualified for two T20 World Cup finals and recently beat Zimbabwe – a Test country – twice in One Day Internationals (ODI) as well as a one-off unofficial Test Match.
• Afghanistan will take part in its first 50-over World Cup in 2015.
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