Good job BCCI. The Board of Control for Cricket in India has officially opened the new National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. Well, it is not exactly in Bangalore but a few kilometres away from the city. Ofcourse, due to lack of space, that is the only option. It has been rechristened as Centre of Excellence, a name based on the Australian model. Apparently, it has got all sorts of state-of-the-art facilities which is aimed towards developing the next generation and the generations further, cricketers. It also aims to promote sports science across India. The facility is equipped with 3 grounds with 86 pitches. It has got soil from Odisha, Mumbai and Bangalore.
It also offers indoor and outdoor training options. The drainage is also designed to be the best. What makes this facility brilliant is the fact that it is open not just for cricketers but for top sportspersons in the country from any sport. They are allowed to use the facility to its fullest capacity. This is what makes the gesture of the BCCI so heartwarming. The board which has always prided itself that it is a private body and is not answerable to the government has taken upon itself to provide the best training facilities for other sports too.
I wonder whether it has badminton, tennis, swimming and other facilities so that the athletes can apart from fitness, will also be able to practice in the same facility. Training facilities for shooting or archery or any other sport is not that great in the country. There could be a few but those are far away and the athletes as such, finds difficult to access. Ofcourse, this CoE is also well away from Bangalore but this is intended to be a finishing school which means that the athletes will have to stay there to training.
Nevertheless, the facility provides for the best of services which the Olympic bound Indian athletes will be able to take advantage of.
I am a harsh critic of BCCI but this gesture of them has blown me away. The previous boards would not even have thought about other sports but the current board has even gone to the extent of allowing the Olympic bound athletes to make use of the services. It is commendable and BCCI deserves to be appreciated. Having said that, all my earlier criticisms of the board still stands. I do not think that I will be able to fully appreciate the board because the bad far outweighs the good.