Punjab Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Slams BCCI for Snubbing Mohali as World Cup Venue
Cricket is a popular sport in India and the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the world. The next edition of the World Cup will be held in India in 2023, but not all states will get a chance to host the matches. Recently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the six venues for the World Cup: Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. However, one state that was left out was Punjab, which has a rich cricketing history and a world-class stadium in Mohali.
Punjab Sports Minister’s Reaction
The exclusion of Mohali from the list of host cities sparked controversy and a strong reaction from the Punjab Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer. He condemned the decision and accused the BCCI of political interference and discrimination against Punjab. He said that the Punjab government had invested a lot of money and resources to upgrade the infrastructure and facilities at the Mohali stadium, which had hosted many international matches in the past. He also said that Mohali was a better venue than some of the selected cities in terms of connectivity, security, and hospitality.
Related:- ICC World Cup 2023 Schedule, Venue, and Matches: India to face Pakistan on October 15 at Ahmedabad
BCCI’s Response
The BCCI defended its decision and said that it was based on various factors such as logistics, bio-security, crowd capacity and revenue generation. It also said that it had consulted with the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the state associations before finalizing the venues. It denied any political bias or vendetta against Punjab and said that it respected the sentiments of the cricket fans in the state. It also assured that Punjab would get its due share of hosting other domestic and international matches in the future.
Analysis
The exclusion of Mohali from the World Cup venues has raised several questions and debates among cricket experts and fans. Some of them are:
- Was it fair to ignore Mohali, which has a proven track record of hosting successful cricket events?
- Was it wise to choose only six venues for such a mega event, which could have been an opportunity to showcase India’s diversity and culture?
- Was it justified to give preference to Ahmedabad, which has a new stadium with a capacity of 1.1 lakh spectators, but has not hosted any international match yet?
- Was it influenced by any political or personal agenda of the BCCI officials or the central government?
- How will it affect the morale and performance of the Punjab cricketers and fans?
Related:- ICC Snubs Pakistan’s Requests to Change World Cup Venues in India
Punjab Sports Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer condemns the exclusion of Mohali from the list of cities to host the ICC Cricket World Cup-2023
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) June 27, 2023
(Video source: Punjab DIPR) pic.twitter.com/gjI9egvtVF
The decision to exclude Mohali from the World Cup venues has created a lot of resentment and disappointment among the people of Punjab, especially the sports minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer. He has demanded an explanation and a review from the BCCI and the ICC. He has also threatened to take legal action if necessary. However, it seems unlikely that the decision will be reversed at this stage, as it involves a lot of planning and coordination among various stakeholders. Therefore, it remains to be seen how this controversy will unfold and impact the cricket scenario in Punjab and India.
