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Modi, Sirisena unveil renovated Jaffna stadium
New Delhi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday jointly inaugurated the renovated Duraiappah Stadium in Jaffna in northern Sri Lanka with Modi stating that India’s economic growth must bring benefit to its neighbours.
Modi, who took part in the event through video-conferencing from New Delhi, said India desires to see an economically prosperous Sri Lanka.
“A Sri Lanka where unity and integrity; peace, harmony and security and equal opportunity and dignity prevails throughout the country among all its people,” Modi said.
He said the Duraiappah Stadium stands as another symbol of lasting friendship between India and Sri Lanka.
Sirisena, in his speech in Jaffna, described the inauguration as “a historic occasion which will strengthen relations between India and Sri Lanka”.
Duraiappah Stadium, named in honour of a former mayor of Jaffna, the late Alfred Thambirajah Duraiappah, has been renovated by the Indian government at a cost of over Rs 7 crore ($1 million).
Sirisena attended the event at the stadium in the Tamil-dominated city in northern Sri Lanka.
Modi said India will “walk side by side” with Sri Lanka as it charts its own path to progress and prosperity for all of its citizens.
He said support to Sri Lanka’s development will be based on the priorities of the island nation.
“India strongly believes that its economic growth must drive and bring benefit to its neighbours. Duraiappah Stadium embodies the spirit of our cooperation. Indeed, India’s support for Sri Lanka’s development is a promise of our friendship. And, that it will be based on your priorities and your needs is an assurance that you can rely on,” he said.
Modi said the stadium was not just brick and mortar but a symbol of optimism and economic development as also an arena for a prosperous and healthy future for Jaffna’s youth.
“Its foundations are supported by your courage and great sacrifices. Its successful completion is a signal that you have left the past behind and are looking to the promise of a prosperous future,” the Prime Minister said.
He said relations between India and Sri Lanka were not limited to confines of two governments but reside in rich contacts of “history, culture, language, art and geography.”
Modi also referred to the International Day of Yoga on June 21 and Sri Lanka’s role of being among the first supporters of the UN resolution on the subject.
He said the curtain raiser for the event had come in the form of “Surya Namaskar” held at the stadium.
“The ‘Surya Namaskar’ has sent the message of holistic healthcare, harmonious and sustainable living with nature to the world. We could not have asked for a more fitting start and tribute to the International Day of Yoga,” he said.
The stadium suffered huge damages and remained abandoned during the civil war.
Its renovation was started in 1999 when the conflict-ravaged northern areas saw relative bouts of peace and calm.
At least 23 human skeletons, including those of some disappeared children, were unearthed when the stadium was being refurbished, according to a 2002 report on Sri Lanka child soldiers by Daya Somasundaram, a renowned psychiatrist in northern Sri Lanka.
The bodies were believed to be of those arrested by Sri Lanka security forces and later allegedly killed in suspected extra-judicial murders.
The stadium now flaunts two pavilions, a gymnasium, a sprawling playground and incandescent lights.
It has two galleries that can seat 1,850 spectators. The stadium could be utilised for all types of sports and track events, except cricket.
According to Indian officials, the renovated stadium will provide the necessary infrastructure to promote sports and recreational activities, and benefit more than 50,000 students from different schools and educational institutions in the Northern Province.
The State Scores Extra High on Gaming-Friendly Industry Index
Meghalaya scored 92.85 out of 100 possible points in a Gaming Industry Index and proved to be India’s most gaming-friendly state following its recent profound legislation changes over the field allowing land-based and online gaming, including games of chance, under a licensing regime.
The index by the UK India Business Council (UKIBC) uses a scale of 0 to 100 to measure the level of legalisation on gambling and betting achieved by a state based on the scores over a set of seven different games – lottery, horse racing, betting on sports, poker, rummy, casino and fantasy sports
Starting from February last year, Meghalaya became the third state in India’s northeast to legalise gambling and betting after Sikkim and Nagaland. After consultations with the UKIBC, the state proceeded with the adoption of the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Act, 2021 and the nullification of the Meghalaya Prevention of Gambling Act, 1970. Subsequently in December, the Meghalaya Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021 were notified and came into force.
All for the Tourists
The move to legalise and license various forms of offline and online betting and gambling in Meghalaya is aimed at boosting tourism and creating jobs, and altogether raising taxation revenues for the northeastern state. At the same time, the opportunities to bet and gamble legally will be reserved only for tourists and visitors.
“We came out with a Gaming Act and subsequently framed the Regulation of Gaming Rules, 2021. The government will accordingly issue licenses to operate games of skill and chance, both online and offline,” said James P. K. Sangma, Meghalaya State Law and Taxation Minister speaking in the capital city of Shillong. “But the legalized gambling and gaming will only be for tourists and not residents of Meghalaya,” he continued.
To be allowed to play, tourists and people visiting the state for work or business purposes will have to prove their non-resident status by presenting appropriate documents, in a process similar to a bank KYC (Know Your Customer) procedure.
Meghalaya Reaches Out to a Vast Market
With 140 millions of people in India estimated to bet regularly on sports, and a total of 370 million desi bettors around prominent sporting events, as per data from one of the latest reports by Esse N Videri, Meghalaya is set to reach out and take a piece of a vast market.
Estimates on the financial value of India’s sports betting market, combined across all types of offline channels and online sports and cricket predictions and betting platforms, speak about amounts between $130 and $150 billion (roughly between ₹9.7 and ₹11.5 lakh crore).
Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Delhi are shown to deliver the highest number of bettors and Meghalaya can count on substantial tourists flow from their betting circles. The sports betting communities of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana are also not to be underestimated.
Among the sports, cricket is most popular, registering 68 percent of the total bet count analyzed by Esse N Videri. Football takes second position with 11 percent of the bets, followed by betting on FIFA at 7 percent and on eCricket at 5 percent. The last position in the Top 5 of popular sports for betting in India is taken by tennis with 3 percent of the bet count.
Local Citizens will Still have Their Teer Betting
Meghalaya residents will still be permitted to participate in teer betting over arrow-shooting results. Teer is a traditional method of gambling, somewhat similar to a lottery draw, and held under the rules of the Meghalaya Regulation of the Game of Arrow Shooting and the Sale of Teer Tickets Act, 2018.
Teer includes bettors wagering on the number of arrows that reach the target which is placed about 50 meters away from a team of 20 archers positioned in a semicircle.
The archers shoot volleys of arrows at the target for ten minutes, and players place their bets choosing a number between 0 and 99 trying to guess the last two digits of the number of arrows that successfully pierce the target.
If, for example, the number of hits is 256, anyone who has bet on 56 wins an amount eight times bigger than their wager.
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