Tata Steel plans revival of Keenan Stadium by 2024

JAMSHEDPUR: Tata Steel is planning to revive and renovate Keenan Stadium, which was built in 1939 and named after John Lawrence Keenan, a former general manager of Tata Steel, at Bistupur. The cost of building the stadium was around Rs 25,000.
Vice-president (corporate services) Tata Steel, Chanakya Chaudhury, told TOI, "The company plans to revive this sporting arena for the benefit of sportspersons and sports lovers." If all goes according to plan, Keenan with a new look and better facilities should be ready by 2024, he added.
Chaudhury, along with Tata Steel brass, visited the stadium to take stock of the ground situation.

Chaudury said talks will be revived with Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) officials so that speed breakers on the path to hold international matches here can be removed.
He said the old dilapidated spectator stands will be demolished and new ones will be constructed to have more seating capacity, according to the plans. At present, the stadium has a capacity to seat 19,000 spectators.
The last ODI match played at the Keenan was between Team India and England on April 12, 2006.
The outfield of the ground and its wicket have been hailed by several cricketers like Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards and Gordon Greenidge of the West Indies, while playing against India in the 1983-84 tour. After the match on December 7, 1983, the visiting team, after winning the match, had praised the firm pitch and superb lush-green outfield.
Ranchi boy Mahendra Singh Dhoni, under whose leadership India won the World Cup in 2011, had started his cricketing career at the Keenan. He was a regular player here. This was shown in his biopic - MS Dhoni: The Untold Story - in which the late Sushant Singh Rajput played Mahi's character.
Former Team India captain Sourav Ganguly had scored 105 (not out) against South Africa here in March 12, 2000, the only ODI in which Team India ever won in the Keenan since international matches were hosted from 1983.
At present, at the Keenan, Ranji matches are played along with local tournaments. More than 70% of the stands for the spectators have been marked as unsafe zones and the public are not allowed there.
Before international cricket matches were played at the stadium, it was a multi-purpose sporting arena, where even football tournaments were hosted. The stadium was a great crowdpuller in undivided Bihar and before the international stadium came up at Ranchi. People from neighbouring districts of Odisha and West Bengal in large numbers were seen in the crowd on the stands along with locals during tournaments.
Tata Steel, without disturbing the grounds, which is good according to experts, is planning to demolish and reconstruct the unsafe structures, said Chaudhury.