New Delhi: The IPL Fan Park initiative will spread to 34 cities across India, accommodating as many as 10,000 people per match during the T20 league beginning tomorrow.
Fan Parks were created in 15 cities in 2015, the initiative’s inaugural year.
The parks are built in specifically selected open arenas and stadiums throughout the country to provide a stadium-like experience to the residents of the cities that do not host the IPL matches.
Giant screens are set up at these venues for public screening of the IPL matches over the weekends. Fan Parks are free for all to attend and special arrangements are made to make it an event that is women and children friendly.
The first Fan Park of the 2016 season will be in operation for April 9 and 10 in Amritsar, Bilaspur, Meerut and Baroda.
“The initiative was a massive success in its inaugural year, and were created in 15 cities across the country. Over 1.5 lakh cricket fans attended the Fan Parks over the duration of the tournament with the footfall for each city over a two-day weekend averaging between 5000 and 8000 fans per day.
“The IPL 2015 final played between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on May 24, 2015, was viewed by over 15,000 fans in the IPL Fan Park at Shree Chhatrapati Shivaji Stadium in Nashik,” said IPL chairman Rajeev Shukla in a statement.
PTI
