Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday virtually inaugurated two football pitches developed by the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) at the Centre of Excellence in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai.
According to officials, CIDCO is developing an International Corporate Park in Kharghar. The park will have a world-class stadium which is part of the Centre of Excellence. The stadium will be developed in three phases. Of the four pitches at the stadium, the two which are ready will soon be handed over to the Western India Football Association as practice grounds for the AFC Asian Cup.
The Centre of Excellence is being developed over 10.5 hectares and the stadiums and pitches are being built in compliance with FIFA standards. The stadiums will have a seating capacity of 40,000 visitors (Phase-3). Work is also underway for a golf course and rugby stadium at the Centre of Excellence.
Of the four pitches for international football matches, three will be of natural grass and one will have an artificial turf. Along with professional sports training, there will also be an independent space for clubhouse (Phase-2).
The stadium is well-connected via the upcoming international airport, metro, highways and suburban railways.
The total estimate of the project is Rs 1,750 crore of which the high-performance centre and clubhouse will cost Rs 150 crore and the stadium will cost approximately Rs 1,500 crore. The two pitches have been built at a cost of Rs 85 crore.
