Uttarakhand’s first international stadium thrown open

The Rajiv Gandhi multi-purpose stadium has been built as per international norms and has a capacity of 25,000. Congress believes it could be used to woo voters in the 2017 assembly elections.

Chief minister Harish Rawat and IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla on Friday inaugurated Rajiv Gandhi multi-purpose stadium, Uttarakhand’s first international one, at Raipur in Dehradun on Friday.

CM Harish Rawat and sports minister Dinesh Agarwal with IPL Chairman Rajiv Shukla releasing the mascot of the 38th National Games at Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium in Dehradun on Friday. (Vinay Santosh kumar/Hindustan Times)

As part of the inauguration, a day-and-night cricket match between Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh was held at the venue.

Indian cricketers, Suresh Raina and Piyush Chawla were among those who played in the match.

The stadium has been built as per international norms on 23 acres of land and has a capacity of 25,000.

Rawat termed it a historic moment for the state and sports lovers and urged Shukla to help Uttarakhand Cricket Association get affiliation in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The two Congress leaders also launched ‘Mauli’, the mascot for the 38th National Games to be held in the state in 2018.

Congress is looking forward to reap political dividends from the stadium, pegging it a great leap for the state’s sports infrastructure.

Meanwhile, another under-construction stadium is set to be inaugurated in Haldwani next week.