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| September 12, 2006 | Tuesday | Sha'aban 18, 1427 |
BCCI to spend $347m on domestic cricket
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 11: Indian cricket's governing body will spend US$347 million in improving facilities for the game across the country, including installing flood lights at every stadium over the next one year, a top official said on Monday.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has already sanctioned Rs16 billion ($347 million) for cricket associations of all states, BCCI vice president Lalit Modi told reporters.
“In the next one year you would see a majority of BCCI stadiums having (flood) lights'' to play day-night cricket, Modi said. ''I don't think a single stadium would be left which would not have facilities or infrastructure of international quality,” he said.
“Until now, domestic associations depended on revenue from matches played in their jurisdictions to fund development programs. But because there are so many venues in the country of over 1 billion people, matches at one place were few and far between, resulting in low revenues, Modi said.
“Now that BCCI is earning large amounts of money, the next big step would be to put money in our own stadiums,” he said.
BCCI is one of the richest sporting bodies in the world, thanks to the massive revenues from television broadcasting rights for games involving India where cricketers enjoy a cult-like following.
The BCCI has also funded the three-nation tournament in Malaysia, spending about $1 million on setting up a floodlit temporary stadium, the Kinrara Oval, in Kuala Lumpur, the largest city in this soccer-crazy country.
Modi said the money spent is seen as an investment in promoting the game in countries outside traditional cricket playing nations.
Malaysia's majority Malays and Chinese are far removed from cricket, a game familiar only to some among the ethnic Indian minority.
“The objective of the BCCI ... and of all members of ICC is to promote cricket all over the world and to enhance the level of facilities that are available for international calibre cricket,” Modi said.
“We have to spread the game across the world. It is important for us not only to play in India but to take it to fan bases around the world,” he said.—AP
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