Asian Games 2023: Cricket venue at Hangzhou passes technical inspection
Cricket at the Asian Games next year will be played in the Pingfeng Campus of the Zhejiang University of Technology.
The cricket venue to be used at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, People's Republic of China next year has passed a technical inspection and is now considered fit to host the matches.
Cricket returns to the Asian Games after it was left out of the Jakarta edition in 2018. This will be the third edition when cricket will feature at the Asian Games after Guangzhou 2010 and Incheon 2014. India did not send a team on both occasions due to international commitments.
ओलम्पिक और खेल खबरे हिन्दी में: यहां क्लिक करें
The Hangzhou Asian Games Cricket Field, located in the Pingfeng Campus of the Zhejiang University of Technology, will host the cricket matches at Asian Games now scheduled next year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It can seat a crowd of 12,000 and is the largest cricket venue in China.
The inspection, delayed due to COVID, was done by members of the Hong Kong Cricket Association.
Construction of the cricket stadium began in November 2020. The main structure inspection passed in June last year.
The men’s and women’s Indian cricket teams were initially expected to skip this year’s Asian Games too due to scheduling issues.
However, with the Asian Games now postponed to next year, it remains to be seen if India will send their teams this time.
Cricket at Asian Games will be played in the T20 format and will be held between September 23 to October 8, 2023.
The City Forex Stadium in Guangzhou, used for hosting cricket at Asian Games 2010, is China’s only other international cricket stadium.
Bangladesh (2010) and Sri Lanka (2014) have won a gold medal each in the men’s cricket tournaments while Pakistan clinched the title in the women’s event in both editions.