Budding cricketers practise at the Railway Stadium. Picture by Gautam Dey

Dhanbad, Jan. 16: Dhanbad will soon be able to boast of having the infrastructure needed to be a sports centre, be it for holding cricket, football, hockey, badminton, volleyball, basketball or gymnastic events.

Railway establishment in Dhanbad has taken this challenge upon itself, for which it has made the necessary amendments and released the funds required for the structural changes. There has also been a promise to organise Ranji and Duleep Trophy cricket matches in the near future.

Sources added that after Jamshedpur and Ranchi, Dhanbad would become another sports centre where cricket, hockey and soccer matches including volleyball, badminton, gymnastics and basketball tournaments of national importance can be hosted.

Talking to The Telegraph, the senior divisional finance manager of East Central Railway and sports chief of the division, Manoj Kumar Dubey, said the plan for development of sports facilities was taken in 2005.

He said the basketball, gymnasium and volleyball courts were commissioned on January 6 in record period of three months by divisional regional manager K.C. Jena.

He also explained that they have started the construction of a soccer stadium near Gaya Bridge, which happens to be very strategically located at the centre of the town. This will give an opportunity for more soccer lovers to enjoy the game, which is one of the most popular games in the region.

?Jharkhand cricket team has got 10 railways players in the team, clearly showing how much the railways is doing for sports. Cemented practice turf wicket plus two turf wickets for regular matches are in progress, which will be completed in six months. With the seating capacity of the railway stadium increased by 12,000, Dhanbad will be ready to host national-level matches by year-end,? added Dubey.