Cuttack: Pankaj Lochan Mohanty on Sunday assumed charge as president of Odisha Cricket Association (OCA).
Mohanty, who had been serving as the working president of the association since the resignation of senior BJD leader Pranab Prakash Das in December last year, was elected opposed to the post being the lone candidate to file the nomination.
This will his second term as OCA president. The MGM Group chairman had earlier headed the association from 2019 to 2022 and stepped down to pave way for Das.
He was elected as the vice-president of the apex council of OCA on October 28, 2022.
Speaking to the media, Mohanty said that the renovation of Barabati Stadium in Cuttack will be taken up as proposed by the previous BJD government. “The BCCI is ready for the Barabati stadium development. We hope that the current dispensation will cooperate in this process. We have held discussions with the Chief Minister, Sports Minister and Secretary on the work to be taken up in the next 7-8 months,” he said.
He also spoke plans for OCA academy at Puri for development of cricket in the state. “We have the BCCI’s backing and will look to set up academies and develop the facilities,” he said.
The association had received brickbats over floodlight failure during the 2nd India-England ODI at the Barabati Stadium. “We have already submitted a response to the Odisha government. The OCA has decided to keep two generators for each floodlight stand,” said Mohanty.
The Sports and Youth Services Department of the Odisha government issued OCA a show-cause notice and asked them to explain the incident in ten days. The BCCI has also asked for an explanation from the association.
