The Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) on Tuesday, 27 August, decided to rechristen Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium as ‘Arun Jaitley Stadium’ in memory of its former president, who passed away on Saturday.
The renaming will officially take place on 12 September at a function, where a stand at the Kotla will be named after India captain Virat Kohli – as announced earlier.
DDCA took to Twitter to announce the same: "Kotla to be renamed as Arun Jaitley Stadium. The renaming of Delhi's famous cricket venue as Arun Jaitley Stadium will take place on September 12 at a function where a Stand of the ground will be named after India captain Virat Kohli."
“It was Arun Jaitley’s support and encouragement that players like Virat Kohli, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Ashish Nehra, Rishabh Pant and many others could make India proud.”Rajat Sharma, President, DDCA
Jaitley, who was the president of DDCA from 1999 to 2013, is credited with renovating the stadium into a modern facility, increasing its capacity to accommodate more fans besides constructing world class dressing rooms.
The function, to be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, will be graced by the presence of Home Minister Amit Shah and Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju.
Earlier, in a letter to the Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal, BJP MP and former India opener Gautam Gambhir had on Monday said the Yamuna Sports Complex should be renamed after Jaitley, for his contribution to nation-building and for his love for cricket.
“May he remain in our hearts forever. As a mark of respect to our beloved leader, I hereby propose to rename ‘Yamuna Sports Complex’ as ‘Arun Jaitley Sports Complex,” Gambhir had said in a tweet, while posting a copy of his letter to the Lt Governor.
Former Union Minister Jaitley passed away on 24 August after prolonged illness. BCCI administrators as well as cricketers took to social media to condole the demise.
In fact, the Indian team had also worn black armbands as a mark of respect for Jaitley during the third day's play of the first Test between India and West Indies.
(With inputs from PTI & IANS)
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