Agartala, Aug 3 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Sunday that the work of the state’s first international cricket stadium at Narsingarh, near Agartala airport, is expected to be completed by December this year.

Addressing an event at Kamalpur in Dhalai district, the Chief Minister emphasised that there should not be any politics involving players and sports.

He said that the state government, in collaboration with the Tripura Cricket Association (TCA), is consistently working to strengthen sports infrastructure across the state, ensuring that talented athletes from every corner, especially remote and rural areas, get the facilities they deserve.

This initiative not only brings cricket closer to the youths but also reflects the government’s commitment to holistic development through sports, Saha said, adding that there had been a lot of politics surrounding cricket.

The Chief Minister said that there were many people who played cricket very well but never got a chance due to politics. Noting that some people even played the Ranji Trophy through political influence, he claimed that during the previous government, preference was always given to their own people, ignoring the talented and efficient players.

“That is why the government changed in 2018 in Tripura under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. There should not be any politics with players. We must respect talent, and I want to thank the TCA. While selecting players, we must focus on talent and not on party affiliation. We have also given jobs based on merit and through transparency. The opposition uses their party workers to create confusion among the people,” said Saha.

He also informed that the state government would construct good cricket fields across the state. “We do not lack talent, but practice is essential. Even during the construction of the international stadium, politics was involved. The previous CPI (M) government was a master in creating problems, and we are solving those problems,” Saha said.

Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Tinku Roy, MLA Manoj Kanti Deb, TCA Secretary Subrata Dey, TCA Advisor Tapan Lodh, and other dignitaries were present at the event.

–IANS

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