Just a few weeks ago, when everything was rosy and perfect, Motera, Ahmedabad welcomed the President of the United States of America Donald Trump along with Indian PM Narendra Modi in the Namaste Trump event.
During his visit on February 24, Trump inaugurated the largest cricket stadium in the world, the revamped Sardar Patel Stadium, which now seats 110,000 people, overtaking the Melbourne Cricket Ground’s record of 100,000 seats.
Unfortunately, the new stadium is now empty, void of any gameplay, thanks to the spread of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Rohit Sharma cannot wait to play in the new Motera Stadium in Ahmedabad
It was even rumored that the new stadium will host the finals of the IPL 2020, the most viewed T20 league in the world. However, the COVID-19 virus has brought all the mega sporting events to a screeching halt as the Tokyo Olympics, football's European Championships, golf, and tennis majors, and the glitzy IPL have been postponed.
"There was hardly any time between the Trump event and the pandemic. Just five percent work is remaining and it just needs the finishing touches,” a senior Gujarat Cricket Association official told AFP.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has pushed back the IPL from its original start date of March 29 to April 15. However, with the number of COVID-19 positive cases in India crossing 5,000-mark, the pressure grows on it to be either canceled or moved to another date.
The $100-million, circular venue, promises unobstructed views and has state-of-the-art facilities including an Olympic-sized swimming pool as part of a multisport complex. Next door, a refurbished venue on the site of the former 49,000-capacity Motera Stadium will serve as a venue for cricket, football, and hockey.
(AFP inputs)
