AHMEDABAD: President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday laid the foundation stone of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Sports Enclave, an ambitious project to come up over an area of 215 acres along the Sabarmati riverfront at Motera in Ahmedabad and digitally inaugurated the world’s largest cricket stadium, which was given a new identity and will be called Narendra Modi Stadium in the city.
The stadium , popularly called ‘Motera stadium’, was named Sardar Patel Stadium when it hosted the ‘Namaste Trump’ event in 2019. Congress promptly criticised the decision to name the cricket ground after Modi but was rebutted by I&B minister Prakash Javadekar. “The name of the sports complex is Sardar Patel Sports Enclave. Only the cricket stadium within it has been named after PM Modi.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Motera Stadium in February 2020, during the Namaste Trump event. Photo: Andrea Hanks/The White House, Public Domain
World25/Feb/2021
New Delhi: On February 24, President Ramnath Kovind inaugurated what is considered the worldâs largest cricket arena, after refurbishment, in Motera, Ahmedabad.
Until Wednesday, the stadium had the name of an illustrious national leader from Gujarat, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Now, Patel’s name will now be shifted to a new sports enclave in Ahmedabad.
Last Updated:
25th February, 2021 12:20 IST
Shah Faesal Says credit A Must Where Credit Is Due Amid Row Over Narendra Modi Stadium
Ex-IAS officer Shah Faesal slammed the hue and cry over naming the Motera stadium as Narendra Modi Stadium and noted that credit must be given where it is due
Ex-IAS officer Shah Faesal slammed the hue and cry over naming Ahmedabad s Motera stadium as Narendra Modi Stadium and noted that credit must be given where it is due. The massive 132,000-seater that has been built at the spot where the erstwhile Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium used to stand at Motera was christened after PM Modi and is now the world s largest cricket arena as part of a larger Sardar Patel Sports Enclave which Amit Shah claims is capable of hosting the Olympics with just 6 months notice. The stadium was inaugurated by President Kovind and the Home Minister on Wednesday ahead of India s pink-ball Test against England.
Highlights
When the old stadium was demolished in 2016, the Motera Stadium had a capacity of 54,000 spectators.
The Sardar Patel Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad is spread over 63 acres, with a seating capacity of 1.10 lakh people.
The new and improved Motera Stadium was rechristened to Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday (February 24). The stadium was named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and becomes the biggest cricket stadium in the world.
Narendra Modi Stadium will host the third Test between India and England starting at 230 pm on Wednesday. In addition to that, the third will also be a Pink-ball or Day/Night Test – only the second ever to take place in India.