Hyderabad Cricket Association seeks stadium sponsor

Hyderabad: The Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium will soon have a corporate prefix as the Hyderabad Cricket Association moved to find sponsors for the naming rights of its headquarters-cum-home ground following a decision in the Executive Committee meeting on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference, president Arshad Ayub said the HCA was looking at big brands that befit the status of RGICS as a world class venue that figures on the select list of cricket fields that host the highest form of the game – Tests. “We are developing the Stadium on international lines and are eyeing global branding as we feel there is much more potential than what we had been making use of till now,” he said.

Arshad was referring to long-time sponsor Visaka, with whom the HCA had numerous run-ins (in and out of courts of law) over their 25-year contract signed for Rs 4.32 crore back in 2004 that bestowed the company with a clutch of benefits during matches played at the RGICS. “Now the contract has been terminated, via arbitration,” Arshad announced, explaining the HCA has to pay Rs 25.92 crore as severance. “Talks are on to settle the issue over instalments,” he said.

Incidentally, Visaka is owned by G. Vivekanand, former EC member of the HCA and brother of former president G. Vinod. Brand builders Mudra Agencies have been roped in to find suitors for the Stadium. “We are looking at Rs 70 crore and upwards. The contract would be for five years and the sponsor’s name would be prefixed to the RGICS. It’s an international norm,” Arshad explained.

However, Visaka is barred from re-bidding. “They have been blacklisted,” Arshad said. The move could be attributed to HCA politics. Vinod and Vivek are part of the rival faction, which has recently accused the ruling body of delaying elections that are to be held on the last Sunday of May according to the HCA constitution. However, the sitting members are throwing the ball right back into their opponents’ court and backing it up with a legal argument. “It is they who created this situation. While in power they dragged themselves to hold the elections in September (in 2014). Now, the current EC members will have to serve out their full two-year term to be eligible to contest as office-bearers in future. Holding polls in May would deprive them of their legal right,” Arshad says.

What’s the way out? “As a one-time correction, we want to move a motion at the Annual General Body Meeting to be held this month-end and seek extension of office till May next so that order is restored. With coaches and selectors picked, changing the body mid-season may not be ideal and could lead to disturbance,” Arshad reasons.

It may not be out of place to mention here that the preceding HCA polls too did not adhere to the constitution. They were held on July 8, 2012.

However, Arshad sought to extend the olive branch to the rebels. “For everything there is a solution. If they approach us rather than resort to dharnas, issues can be sorted out across the table. Healthy opposition is always welcome minus maligning members,” he said, before playing on the front foot: “Throw us out at the elections if we are wrong.”