SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) — Indian-American cricket enthusiast and businessman Jignesh Pandya announced he plans to build eight cricket stadiums across the U.S., which will cost an estimated $2.4 billion, to help professionalize the sport in the states.
The Gujarat-born real estate developer wants to see stadiums go up in New York, New Jersey, Washington D.C., Georgia, Florida, Texas, Illinois and California. Construction of the stadiums will create nearly 20,000 jobs, Pandya, chairman of Global Sports Ventures, said.
Each venue will seat 26,000, he added. The Pennsylvania-based Global Sports Ventures will also sign a $70 million licensing agreement with the United States of American Cricket Association (USACA), the body’s first step in growing and popularizing the sport in the U.S.
Pandya has been spanning the globe with his two sons, the trio have spent countless hours seeking out the world’s best live cricket matches. During their travels, Pandya said he noticed most of the spectators to be either Indian or American. This has led him to believe there is more of a desire for the sports in the states than meets the eye.
“So there is a great market and readymade audience for cricket in the U.S.,” he told The Press Trust of India.
The stadiums, Pandya said, will be built into complexes that already include high-rise condominiums, shopping and entertainment centers as well as commercial office space. His ultimate goal, however, is to create and foster a professional cricket league that allows athletes to compete at the highest levels of the sport.
“This will be a strong foundation when the International Cricket Council hosts any tournaments in line with its strategic framework for USA cricket, potentially hosting the ICC World Twenty 20 in 2024,” he said.
