Now Reading: From idle land to BCCI’s Centre of Excellence: Jay Shah’s vision realised
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From idle land to BCCI’s Centre of Excellence: Jay Shah’s vision realised
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has credited former secretary Jay Shah for transforming 40 acres of idle land in Bengaluru into the state-of-the-art BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE). The facility, which became fully…
The Story in Brief
BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has credited former secretary Jay Shah for transforming 40 acres of idle land in Bengaluru into the state-of-the-art BCCI Centre of Excellence (CoE). The facility, which became fully operational in November 2024, is nearing its second anniversary. Saikia told ANI that Shah's biggest challenge was regularising the land, which many wanted to take back. Construction began in February 2022 after Shah cleared legal hurdles and aligned all stakeholders.
Former India cricketer VVS Laxman played a key role in the transition from the National Cricket Academy to the new CoE. Laxman moved to Bengaluru in December 2021 after Shah and then BCCI president Sourav Ganguly approached him. He recalled Shah's hands-on involvement in meetings with architects and L&T to ensure every detail was addressed. The CoE is now the BCCI's premier cricketing facility.
The Indian Opinion
The BCCI’s Centre of Excellence is rightly celebrated for its world-class facilities, but the breathless credit being heaped on Jay Shah by BCCI officials demands balance. Shah was secretary and helped cut red tape, fair enough. But where were these same officials when many earlier proposals for a permanent NCA stalled? And what about the collective effort of everyone from VVS Laxman to L&T? Indian cricket fans should watch for one thing: will this CoE produce a single great player that the old rented NCA could not? That is the only verdict that matters.
Source: rediff.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
