Sport

New Delhi to host 2011 World Cup final

New Delhi: The 2011 World Cup final will be held in Delhi, probably at a new stadium to be built by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

``It was decided that Delhi will host the final, while the two semifinals will be shared between Pakistan and Sri Lanka,'' BCCI vice-president Lalit Modi said on Monday.

``Bangladesh will host the opening ceremony,'' he said adding that ``the decision was taken at a meeting of the respective Boards of the four countries in London recently.''

New stadium

The final is most likely to be held at a new stadium being planned by the BCCI at a land already allotted to it by the Delhi Development Authority, and not at the Ferozeshah Kotla, which is owned by Delhi and District Cricket Association.

Earlier this year, the four Asian Test playing Nations won the bid to host the 2011 edition of cricket's showpiece event.

India and Pakistan hosted the quadrennial extravaganza jointly in 1987, marking the first time the World Cup being held outside England.

The two countries were joined by Sri Lanka when the event returned to the sub-continent in 1996.

Dravid recommended

Meanwhile, the BCCI has recommended the name of Indian captain Rahul Dravid for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, the country's highest sporting honour, for the year 2005-06.

The BCCI has also put forward the names of paceman Irfan Pathan and left-handed batsman Yuvraj Singh for the Arjuna award for the same year, BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah said.

Sachin Tendulkar is the only cricketer so far to have received the award in 1997-98.

Dravid, who took over captaincy from Sourav Ganguly last year, is currently regarded as one of the finest batsmen and has been in the top three of the ICC Test batting rankings for quite some time.

Pathan has emerged as India's pace spearhead and had a creditable performance in the period under review, while Yuvraj has also been one of the consistent performers for the Indian team, particularly in the shorter version of the game.

The President will confer the awards on August 29 every year. The award carries a scroll of honour and a purse of Rs.5 lakhs.

Shukla in committee

BCCI's Media Committee chairman Rajeev Shukla has been included in the Organising Committee for the Champions Trophy to be hosted by India in October-November this year.

``BCCI president Sharad Pawar has nominated Rajeev Shukla to the Organising Committee of Championship Trophy 2006,'' Shah said in a release.

The Champions Trophy will be held across four venues — Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Mohali. — PTI

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