Military to maintain three cricket stadiums

Sports Ministry has handed over of three international cricket stadiums to the military as the Ministry is unable to afford the management and maintenance of the grounds.

Ministry of Sports said the sports grounds were handed over to the Ministry of Defense to minimize the massive expenditure that has to be incurred for the maintenance of the newly built Pallekele Stadium in Kandy and Mahinda Rajapaksa International Cricket Stadium in Hambantota and the refurbished R. Premadasa Stadium (RPS) in Colombo.

The cash-strapped Cricket Board is not in a position to maintain the stadiums, a spokesman of the Cricket Board said.

From this month the Air Force will be managing the RPS and the Navy has taken over the Pallekele Stadium while the Army will be maintaining the Hambantota Stadium.

Plans are underway to deploy the personnel of the three armed forces to maintain the grounds.