India to gift Maldives a cricket stadium and help develop the sport in country as PM Modi prepares to visit

India and Maldives are looking to strengthen the bilateral relationship, as PM Modi prepares for a short visit to the archipelago. The best way of doing so is through cricket, as Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale and the Ministry of External Affairs have asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to help develop the game in the Maldives and train their cricketers.

Maldives President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih had requested his Indian counterpart’s assistance in making the sport of cricket popular in the country and help out their cricketers, as they look to make their mark in the game. The Prime Minister will tour the island nation on Saturday. Modi‘s would be a ‘state visit’ to the Maldives, something that is reserved for a head of the state and Gokhale termed it as a ‘mark of respect’ for India and the Prime Minister.

India to build a cricket stadium in Maldives

“Among the requests, which are under examination, is a cricket stadium in the Maldives. We expect to build it under the line of credit that we plan to give,” Gokhale was quoted as saying by New Indian Express.

The Maldives has also “requested for a coaching program” for Maldivian cricketers both in India and the Maldives and also for training requirements of “coaches, umpires, scorers and match referees”. The Indian government has already presented the nation’s cricketers with cricket kits and the BCCI officials visited the Maldives last month as part of the Indian initiative to build a stadium in the country.

PM Modi’s visit to the nation is the first one by an Indian PM since 2011. Indians are the second largest expatriate community in the Maldives with an approximate strength of around 22,000.

The Maldives President had attended an IPL match in April and had requested India’s assistance for developing the game as India announced a $1.4 billion financial assistance to the island nation. Maldives cricket team represents the country in international cricket and made its T20 debut this year as ICC decided to grant full Twenty20 International (T20I) status to all its members.