Bihar govt transfers Moin-ul-Haq stadium to Bihar Cricket Association; major revamp planned by 2027

Patna: The Bihar government has transferred the Moin-ul-Haq Stadium here to the state cricket association, clearing the decks for it to become a multi-sport complex and an international venue with a 40,000-seat capacity at an estimated cost of Rs 400 crore.

The renovated stadium will have 76 corporate boxes and accommodation for 250 VIPs and the sports complex will feature a badminton court, volleyball court, swimming pool, five-star hotel, fully-equipped players' hostel, restaurants, a clubhouse, and other modern amenities, stated a release.

The construction is slated to begin early next year, with completion target of 2027.

"The Bihar Government has fulfilled its responsibility. Now, it is up to the BCA (Bihar Cricket Association) to begin its work. The BCA will expedite the construction and deliver a world-class stadium to the people of Bihar within two-three years, where they can enjoy international matches," BCA president Rakesh Kumar Tiwari stated in a press release after the signing of documents on Tuesday.

As part of the agreement, the state government has waived the land registry fee of approximately Rs 37 crore.

The registry documents were signed by Mahendra Kumar, director of the sports department, on behalf of the state government, and BCA president Tiwari.

The event was also attended by sports department deputy director Sanjay Kumar, Patna district sports officer Om Prakash, BCA secretary Jiaul Afrin, GM administration Neeraj Rathore, among others.

The development follows a Memorandum of Understanding that was signed between the state government and the BCA on November 6.

As per records, the stadium, which has a current capacity of 25,000, last hosted an international match on Decmeber 22, 1997 -- an India versus South Africa Women's World Cup clash.

Previously, it also hosted the Kenya-Zimbabwe match of the 1996 World Cup on February 27 and another ODI between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe in the CAB Jubilee Tournament for the Hero Cup on November 15, 1993.

The stadium has hosted a Women's Test too, between India and West Indies from November 17-19 in 1976, and a Youth Test between India and Australia from March 9-12, 1985.

The venue is named after one of BCA's founding members Moin-ul-Haq, who was also the first President of the All India Football Federation.