Barabati stadium in Odisha’s Cuttack to be redeveloped

The area near Barabati Stadium will be developed into a world-class sports campus with top-notch facilities for cricketers and other sports disciplines

Published on: Feb 22, 2024, 09:36:37 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The iconic Barabati stadium in Odisha’s Cuttack city, which has hosted several ODIs, and Test matches will be demolished to make way for a bigger cricket stadium with a seating capacity of 60,000 people.

Conceptual design for the redevelopment of the Barabati stadium into a world-class facility. (Special Secretary to CM | Official X account)

Sanjay Behera, secretary of Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) that manages the stadium said there was a need for an integrated project and increase in seating capacity for which the stadium will need to be demolished for a bigger one.

“Hence, renovation work is highly needed. According to plans, the stadium seating capacity will be increased to 60,000,” said Behera.

Also Read: ₹5 crore facelift planned for MCD’s Ambedkar Stadium

“The foundation stone for the development plan will be laid on February 27 and work will start soon”, he said.

Behera, however, said that certain heritage structures at the stadium will remain intact.

Earlier On Wednesday, 5T chairman VK Pandian visited Barabati stadium and held discussions with OCA president Pranab Prakash Das and other officials.

According to officials, the Barabati stadium area will be developed into a world-class sports campus with facilities for spectators as per international standards including parking, galleries, food courts and washrooms.

The campus will also have facilities for other sports disciplines.

The area adjacent to Barabati stadium will be developed for a retail mall along with a five-star hotel and office spaces.

The area in front of the stadium will be developed as a public plaza.

Built in 1952, it is one of the oldest sports venues in India.

Bhairab Mohanty, who was general secretary of Odisha Olympic Association proposed the idea of Barabati Raffle that ran for 18 years to raise funds for construction of the stadium.

The stadium is named after the historical site of Barabati fort which is located right next to it.

The stadium hosted its first international cricket match in 1982 between India and England which the former won.

It hosted its first cricket test match in 1987 between India vs Sri Lanka.

The venue has also hosted World Cup cricket matches in 1987 and 1996. India has played 11 ODIs here, winning seven and losing the rest.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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