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Chairman of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Jay Shah on Monday arrived at Bagdogra Airport on Sunday along with senior Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials ahead of a scheduled visit to Sikkim in connection with the inauguration of an Indoor Cricket Academy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Upon arrival at Bagdogra, the visiting dignitaries were warmly received by Liaison Officers, Cricket Association President Tika Subba, and Chairman-cum-Construction Committee K C Sharma, along with officials from the Home Department's Bagdogra unit. Last week, BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia visited the newly constructed indoor cricket academy at the Sikkim Cricket Ground in Mining, Rangpo. The newly constructed cricket facility has been built for Rs 23 crore by the BCCI. The state-of-the-art facility will be inaugurated on April 28 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Gangtok, alongside several other infrastructure projects. The indoor academy, developed within the premises of the Sikkim Cricket Association (SICA) ground, includes modern amenities such as net practice facilities, a gymnasium, a swimming pool, and other essential infrastructure aimed at boosting cricket training standards in the region. Saikia highlighted that until 2019, only Assam and Manipur from the Northeast had permanent membership in the BCCI, while six other states did not. However, all northeastern states have since been granted permanent membership, paving the way for significant infrastructure development. He stated that the BCCI is actively working to bring these states on par with older, established members by promoting and supporting cricket development. Speaking to reporters during his visit to Sikkim, Saikia said the project, initiated in 2022, has been completed and will now be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He added that the facilities in Rangpo, Sikkim, along with similar infrastructure in five other Northeastern states, will be inaugurated as part of a single event. "The Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Sikkim on April 28. On that day, the indoor cricket facilities in Sikkim, which we started in 2022, are completed and ready for inauguration. The Prime Minister will inaugurate the facilities in Rangpo as well as in five other Northeastern states. From Gangtok, all six facilities will be inaugurated, which will give a new impetus to the entire Northeastern cricket scene," Saikia said.
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