Construction of a cricket ground at Gauritar in ward 6 of Hetauda Sub-metropolitan City has been completed, with provincial authorities preparing to host national-level competitions at the newly built venue.

The project, developed by the Bagmati Province government as one of its priority infrastructure schemes, was launched two years ago.

According to Deepak Lama, member secretary of the Bagmati Province Sports Development Council, the cricket ground was built at Rs117.4 million, including the installation of a drainage system. Construction began after a contract agreement was signed on April 2, 2024.

The facility includes a parapet with a seating capacity of around 450 spectators, five pitches, a field with a 70-metre radius, a scoreboard, a VVIP room, players’ rooms, changing rooms, television and radio broadcasting rooms, media facilities, disability-friendly infrastructure and parking areas.

The council said final work on the playing surface, including grass preparation, is currently underway. Bermuda grass has been used across the ground.

Lama said the province plans to formally inaugurate the stadium by organising a national-level tournament in the near future. He said the venue already meets the technical standards required to host international matches.

“International-level competitions can be conducted even in its current condition,” he said.

The council has sought technical support from the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) regarding pitch quality, ground management and other operational aspects. CAN has been assisting with the process and has given a preliminary assessment that the venue is suitable for international tournaments.

According to CAN central member Karan Mahtara, preparations are underway to improve further the quality of all five pitches with technical assistance from the curator of the TU International Cricket Ground.

“CAN has been working with a Bangladeshi curator to maintain pitch standards at TU. Similar technical support will be used here as well,” he said.

He added that plans are being made to host a national-level cricket tournament in Gauritar in the near future.

The Sports Development Council also plans to expand the stadium’s capacity in the next phase by constructing additional parapets to accommodate around 6,000 spectators.

According to the project’s detailed report, the parapets will be expanded across four blocks. Construction of one block has already been completed under the first phase, while the remaining structures will be built gradually.

Besides the cricket ground, other infrastructure, including a football ground and a swimming pool, is also under construction within the Gauritar stadium complex.

The province also plans to begin construction of lawn tennis courts, a motor racing track and a football training ground within the current fiscal year. The provincial government has allocated Rs80 million for these projects this year.

According to the council, all future construction work will be carried out through multi-year contracting systems to ensure the more systematic long-term development of the sports complex.