New Beginning: Himanta Biswa Sarma addresses the general body members on Sunday. A Telegraph picture

Guwahati, June 29: The Gauhati Town Club today announced the construction of a state-of-the-art building with facilities for indoor sports and accommodation for players by 2009.

The new executive body of the club, headed by health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, announced this after its members were elected at the 100th annual general body meeting this morning.

Sarma replaced Radha Bora as the president of the club.

Former Ranji player Devajit Saikia was elected the general secretary, while Tanmay Mahanta was elected as treasurer, Jogen Hazarika as football secretary and Joydeep Baruah as working president of the 21-member executive body.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi is the chief patron of the club, while veteran sports personality Pulin Das is one of the club’s advisers.

The meeting was attended by 80 members and went on for over three hours.

Saikia said Sarma had pledged to move the government for all necessary help to restore the club’s former glory. “Despite being an institution in the Northeast, the club has fallen on bad times. The AGM today resolved to restore its past glory,” Saikia said.

According to him, the club house will have facilities for table tennis, badminton, swimming, billiards and snooker.

“It will also have accommodation for players and gyms where they can work out. It will be one of the best in the country. The blueprint will be ready within 15 days and efforts will be made to complete it by March 31,” Saikia said.

The club was set up in 1901 and registered in 1906. Once a force to reckon with in football and cricket, it now struggles to stitch together a decent playing XI, more so in football. Its football team now does not even figure in the Guwahati Super Division League organised by the Guwahati Sports Association.

The announcement comes close on the heels of the government opening up the Judges Field for sporting activities.

Most of those who attended the meeting hoped the club, located within the field, could now utilise the ground to nurture football and cricket just like the good old days.