TNCA gets government order for renewing M.A. Chidambaram Stadium lease
The Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) has officially been granted lease by the Government for re-opening the I, J and K stands of the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. The stands will be opened from the first ODI between India and the West Indies which will be played at the Chepauk on December 15.
TNCA Secretary R. S. Ramaswamy received a letter from the Government which has officially renewed the lease of the Chepauk and he and the other officials are extremely delighted about it. The Chepauk has been deprived of the final of the last edition of the Indian Premier League and the non-availability of the I, J and K stand was a big reason for it. But after a long time, the gates will be open and Ramaswamy will hope that it will be a full house come the first game between India and West Indies on December 15.
“We now have it. It’s because of team-work,” Ramaswamy told Sportstar.
When Rupa Gurunath began her term as the President of TNCA, the reopening of these stands was on top of her priority list. Ramaswamy and his team took great efforts to make this lease possible and he also specially thanked sitting MLA from Omalur in Salem district, S. Vetrivel, who has played cricket for Tamil Nadu at the under-17 and has also been a state selector at the under-19 level.
“Vetrivel convinced the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, Eddapadi K. Palaniswami, how important renewing the lease of the M.A. Chidambaram was,” Ramaswamy said.
The Madras Cricket Club (MCC) has also got its lease renewed and it will have to pay Rs. 11 crore in arrears to the Government. Permission will be required to demolish its gym to create the required distance between the MCC and the K stand.
Once all of this procedure is completed, TNCA will approach the High Court to appeal for the reopening of the three stands.
“Once we get the go-ahead from the court, we can get the job done. We need around four days for demolition and three days for cleaning the stands. If the demolition is complete by December 10, we can get the three stands ready for the public before December 15,” Ramaswamy asserted.