Cricket stadium to be named after Richa Ghosh in her hometown

SILIGURI: Tears welled up in the eyes of Manabendra Ghosh, father of 22-year-old world champion Richa Ghosh, as he heard the news — a cricket stadium, the first of its kind, will be built at Chandmani near Siliguri, in the name of his daughter.

Richa will be the first woman cricketer in India to be honoured in this manner.

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The daughter of an umpire, Richa started playing cricket at the age of four. With no girls’ team available, she trained with boys — a challenge that sharpened her fearless, attacking game. Today, the World Cup winner’s hometown of Siliguri prepares to celebrate her rise with a stadium named in her honour.The announcement came soon after India’s women’s team lifted the World Cup. CM Mamata Banerjee, who was in Siliguri for a review meeting, made the announcement during a press conference at Uttarkanya, the branch secretariat.“Congratulations to Richa. She has become a world champion at just 22. We want to build a cricket stadium in her name. We have about 27 acres of land at Chandmani Bagan — Matigara it will be developed as the Richa Cricket Stadium,” said Banerjee. Rarely has a stadium been named after a sportsperson during their active career.Speaking to TOI, Richa’s father, Manabendra, said he has no words to describe the joy and the excitement at the CM’s announcement. “I have no words — this feels like a dream come true. To see a stadium being built in my daughter’s name, in the very place where she began her journey, is beyond anything we ever imagined,” he said.“We are proud that Richa has created history, but this honour is not hers alone. It belongs to every young girl who has ever picked up a bat and dared to dream in these hills.”