The former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi will be honoured with a new stand at the MA Chidambaram Stadium that will house the Anna Pavilion, according to sources with the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA). A cutting-edge indoor training facility will be located on the ground floor of the redesigned Anna Pavilion.
The new stand honouring MK Stalin’s late father, who served as the state’s chief minister five times between 1969 and 2011, will be opened on March 17 by the chief minister of Tamil Nadu. By this time, a new Madras Cricket Club stand will also be completed.
MS Dhoni, the former captain of India, and Udhyanidhi Stalin, the minister for youth welfare and sports development, will also be present at the ceremony.
In preparation for the 2023 50-over World Cup, the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium, the second-oldest stadium in India after Eden Gardens, has been undergoing renovations. For the third and final ODI between India and Australia on March 22, the new stands will be accessible to the general public.
The TNCA has made an exception to honour the deceased five-time CM, even though none of the stands are named after any former player, administrator, or politician. He passed away in 2018. Karunanidhi was a regular fixture at games at Chepauk throughout his political career. He was elected as an MLA there during his last two terms as chief minister.
Karunanidhi was in charge of launching the pavilion honouring former DMK chief minister CN Annadurai. And there have been hints that the pavilion stands will be named after Karunanidhi ever since the TNCA decided to construct them. The association has had a close relationship with succeeding DMK administrations over the years, and the current TNCA president, Dr. P Ashok Sigamani, is the son of K Ponmudy, the state’s minister of higher education.
Additionally, a museum that chronicles the history of TNCA is in the works. The stadium’s capacity is anticipated to be close to 38,000 with the addition of the two new stands.
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