The Assam Sports Journalists Association (ASJA) has drawn applause from journalists circles across the country for moving the BCCI seeking its intervention for a better location of the media tribune at the Assam Cricket Association (ACA) stadium here.

The initiative was taken on Saturday evening after media persons from different parts of country who turned up to cover the ODI between India and West Indies on Sunday complained about the location of the media tribune situated on the northeastern gallery on the second floor from where media persons would not be able to make out ball movements or leg before and other technicalities of the game.

“We have sent mails to BCCI, its chief executive officer Rahul Johri, BCCI committee of administrators, BCCI media manager Moulin Parikh, ACA and the Sports Journalists Federation of India so that necessary steps are taken before another international match is awarded to the stadium,” the association secretary, Bidyut Kalita, said.

BCCI media manager Parikh said: “It is the prerogative of the local association to designate the location of media tribune. The BCCI has nothing to do with it. I agree the view was better from the south stand media tribune during the last T20 international between India and Australia than the present location. I would suggest that the media tribune be relocated to the north or south stands before another international is held in the stadium.”

“I appreciate the ASJA for the step and would suggest it to point out this lacuna to the ICC match referee in a letter so that he can include this shortcoming in his report to the world body,” said S. Sabanayakan, vice-president of Asian Sports Press Association (AIPS Asia).

The ASJA, however, preferred to keep the matter to the BCCI level only because taking it to the ICC could hamper the ACA’s efforts to claim a test venue status to the stadium.

ACA vice-president and spokesman Devajit Saikia said: “It is not our decision. The BCCI had raised objection to the location of the media tribune on south stand because it becomes inconvenient for the players to go there and address the press. We were asked to shift it to the north stand. There was a space down the wicket on north stand which the BCCI preferred for the president’s boxes leaving us with the only space on the northeast stand.”