The pavilion being constructed at the railway stadium in Dhanbad. Picture by Gautam Dey

Jamshedpur, March 13: Dhanbad is set to become a major sports hub in the state, thanks to East Central Railway’s initiative to set up a top-notch pavilion at the coal city’s railway stadium.

Officials said the new double-storeyed pavilion under construction is being developed like the dressing rooms at the picturesque Jade stadium at Christchurch in New Zealand. The pavilion, estimated to cost around Rs 50 lakh, is expected to come up within six months.

The pavilion will boast of two air-conditioned dressing rooms and a VIP gallery. Railway engineers are giving shape to the project under the supervision of Ajay Shukla, the divisional railway manager of Dhanbad.

Vinam Mishra, the assistant sports officer of Dhanbad railway division, told The Telegraph: “The pavilion is coming up just opposite to the existing single-storeyed structure.” According to him, the railway stadium has a capacity of about 17,000. It has three turf wickets, including one for practice.

Talks are on with the Jharkhand State Cricket Association and the Dhanbad District Cricket Association (DDCA) to use the venue regularly.

“The revamped stadium will strengthen our case. Besides, we can also hold national-level competitions involving football and hockey,” sources in said.

Besides the railway stadium, Dhanbad has two other grounds — Tata Stadium at Digwadih and Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, owned by Bharat Coking Coal Limited.

“We are making continuous efforts to improve the standard of cricket here,” said DDCA secretary S.A. Rahman.