Give Future City stadium land to TCA, not HCA, says Venkateshwar Reddy

Former SAT chairman A. Venkateshwar Reddy has urged the Telangana government to allocate the proposed 100-acre Future City international cricket stadium site to TCA instead of HCA, saying it should benefit rural cricketers and expand infrastructure across Telangana

Hyderabad: Former Sports Authority of Telangana (SAT) Chairman A. Venkateshwar Reddy, while welcoming the Telangana government’s proposal to construct an international cricket stadium spread across 100 acres in the Future City, appealed to the State government to allocate the proposed land to the Telangana Cricket Association (TCA) instead of the Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA).

He said the decision should primarily serve the interests of cricketers from rural Telangana.

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Mr Reddy said HCA had historically remained focused on Hyderabad and pointed out that, despite its nearly 90-year history, not a single stadium had been constructed in the districts with the association’s own funds.

He said the lack of proper cricket infrastructure in rural areas had deprived several talented players of opportunities to develop their skills and represent Telangana at higher levels.

Mr Reddy expressed concern that allocating land to HCA once again, similar to the earlier allocation for the Uppal Stadium, could create scope for irregularities and misuse. He pointed out that several cases relating to alleged irregularities in the construction of the Uppal Stadium between 2004 and 2009 were still pending before the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

“In view of the pending ACB cases, the State government should refrain from making any fresh land allocations to HCA until the matters are resolved,” he said.

Venkateshwar Reddy appealed to the government to keep the long-term future of rural cricketers in mind and allocate the land for the proposed international stadium to TCA.

Mr Reddy reiterated that the proposed stadium should become a centre for developing cricket talent across Telangana and provide equal opportunities and world-class infrastructure to players from rural and underserved regions of the State.