The Board of Cricket Control in India has inaugurated six state-of-the-art indoor cricket academies in multiple locations of Northeast India. The event was attended by multiple dignitaries, and inaugurated by the Honorable Prime Minister of India Shri Narendra Modi.
The inauguration event took place on April 28 in Gangtok. The prime minister inaugurated the academies virtually from Gangtok. The BCCI President Mithun Manhas said,
“We are grateful to the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi for inaugurating these facilities.”
BCCI Honorary Secretary Devajit Saikia added,
“This is a momentous occasion and a red-letter day for the entire North-East, and I thank the Honourable PM Shri Narendra Modi ji for gracing the event and inaugurating the facilities.”
The ICC Chairman Jay Shah attended the event too, along with BCCI office bearers and other senior officials. Several administrative officers from five northeastern states also attended the event.
Notably, Shah, during his tenure with the BCCI as the president, pioneered this idea. However, it took some time to come to reality. Speaking about this, saikia further said,
“I thank the ICC Chair Mr Jay Shah, for his vision and for initiating this important project back in 2022. This is a major boost, and the cricketers from the region will benefit immensely as training and preparations will continue throughout the year, giving players the consistency they need to develop their game.”
What is the purpose of indoor academics?
The purpose of the indoor facilities is to enable all-round training uninterrupted by any weather effects. These are meant to help the domestic cricketers in the north-east train to their best. BCCI Predident added,
“This initiative reflects a clear intent to take cricket infrastructure to every region and build a stronger, more inclusive foundation for the game. It is also a significant step in ensuring that aspiring cricketers from the North-East have access to the same quality of facilities as anywhere else in the country.”
Saikia added,
“I am confident that this will pave the way for more players from the North-East to progress to the highest levels of the game.”
BCCI Vice President, Rajeev Shukla said,
“These academies bring structure and opportunity to a region that has immense potential. With a high-performance environment now in place across the North-East, we expect to see steady and sustained growth in the years ahead.”
Where are the academies located? What are the facilities given?
The BCCI inaugurated the indoor academies in six places in the Northeast. They are
- Rangpo (Sikkim)
- Doimukh (Arunachal Pradesh),
- Imphal (Manipur),
- Madankurklang (Meghalaya),
- Aizawl (Mizoram), and
- Dimapur (Nagaland).
The idea is to distribute the academies evenly in the area, ensuring players from all corners can avail themselves of that. These academics are equipped with multiple high-profile facilities, including
- indoor practice pitches,
- high-tech gymnasiums,
- temperature-controlled swimming pools, and
- dedicated administrative and training blocks.
These facilities will enable all-season training, help overcome disruptions caused by extended monsoon periods, and significantly cut down players’ need to travel elsewhere for professional preparation.
