New NCA Building: After a long delay, BCCI’s dream project of a state-of-the-art National Cricket Academy complex is finally back on track. On Monday, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, Secretary Jay Shah and other office bearers along with NCA director VVS Laxman laid the foundation stone for the new complex in Bengaluru.
“Laid the foundation stone for @BCCI’s new NCA. It is our collective vision to have a Centre of Excellence which nurtures talent and supports the cricket ecosystem in. Jai Hind! @SGanguly99 @ThakurArunS @ShuklaRajiv @VVSLaxman281,” Jay Shah tweeted.
View this post on Instagram
New NCA Building: BCCI’s dream NCA project back on track, Ganguly & Jay Shah lay foundation stone for new complex in Bengaluru – Check pics
Laid the foundation stone for @BCCI’s new NCA. It is our collective vision to have a Centre of Excellence which nurtures talent and supports the cricket ecosystem in 🇮🇳. Jai Hind! @SGanguly99 @ThakurArunS @ShuklaRajiv @VVSLaxman281 pic.twitter.com/0EMzssMJIe
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) February 14, 2022
New NCA Building: BCCI’s dream NCA project back on track, Ganguly & Jay Shah lay foundation stone for new complex in Bengaluru – Check pics
Last year, Laxman took the charge as the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA). BCCI had acquired land for the NCA complex near Bengaluru airport a decade ago but didn’t make the shift right away. Currently, the NCA complex is inside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium and is deemed to be smaller in size.
The new complex will provide better facilities, players quarters besides other world-class facilities. The new NCA complex will have a 16,000 sqft gym, 40 practice pitches, 243 rooms, an open-air theatre, an indoor training facility besides a creche for cricketers’ children.
New NCA Building: What will be in store for Indian cricketers:
- The new NCA campus will have a 16,000sqft gym with the latest equipment.
- It will be all Indian players’ rehab center.
- It will have 40 practice pitches spread over the 45-acre land with 20 of them having floodlight facility.
- Apart from 243 rooms for players, it will also have a creche for cricketers’ children.
- Open-air theatre, temperature-control pool, indoor training facilities will be present.
- The new complex will also have ancillary facilities such as bank, pharmacy, hospital, courier, salon, ATM, cycling track, basketball, tennis and futsal court.
New NCA Building: BCCI’s dream NCA project back on track, Ganguly & Jay Shah lay foundation stone for new complex in Bengaluru – Check pics
As per the NCA blueprint, other world-class facilities such as futsal, squash, badminton, basketball, tennis, cycling track, a temperature-controlled pool will be present. The complex will also have ancillary provisions like a pharmacy, courier dispatch facility, bank, ATM, salon on a 40-acre land in Devanahalli near the Bengaluru international airport.
In 2017, BCCI finally completed the acquisition of the 45-acre land in Devanahalli, around 25 kilometres away from Bengaluru. The site was specially chosen as it was close to the Bengaluru international airport for swift access to the cricketers.
The Indian board received the land from KIADB (Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board) on a 99-year lease for Rs 50 Cr with support from the Karnataka government. However, the project won’t be developed right away. Instead, the BCCI will develop the facilities in two phases. In March last year, the BCCI invited tenders to develop the facility. The first phase is expected to be completed by 2024.
New NCA Building: BCCI’s dream NCA project back on track, Ganguly & Jay Shah lay foundation stone for new complex in Bengaluru – Check pics