Mumbai: Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar
inaugurated a cricket field in Louisville in the state of
Kentucky in USA, thus making it the first international
sporting facility named after an Indian sportsperson.
The Sunil Gavaskar Field, inaugurated on October 15, will
serve as the home ground for the Louisville Cricket Club,
which is part of the 42- team MidWest Cricket League, a media
release said today.
The club, along with Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, built
a cricket pitch at the Hays Kennedy Park.
"I am delighted and privileged at the honor," Gavaskar
said in a statement.
"It's a unique honour to have a cricket field named after
me, especially in a country where cricket is not a premier
sport." The club also organized a dinner for Gavaskar, where
Fischer presented him with a key to the city. Mayor Fischer
said he expects the city's USD 150,000 investment in the
fields will reap great rewards.
"We are an increasingly global community, and cricket is
already part of our city's sporting landscape," he said.
"We hope the investment at Hays Kennedy Park will open
the sport to more local participation, and the city to even
more global opportunities," he added.
