The Eindhoven City Council anticipates that the number of people playing cricket in the municipality will triple in the coming years. To support this growth, additional sports facilities are needed, but finding the necessary space has proven challenging. This was shared in a letter from the city government to the city council.
Currently, around 650 people in Eindhoven participate in cricket, but the city expects this number to reach 2,000 by 2028. With this anticipated rise, extra sports space is required, though securing such space has not been easy.
The municipality considered adding a new cricket pitch at Genneper Parken sports park. Potential locations include near the old artificial turf field at the RPC football club on Aalsterweg and between the main field of Oranje-Rood and the Van der Valk Hotel.
However, these locations don’t meet the Cricket Association’s safety standards, as they would pose significant safety risks, and addressing these issues would be too costly.
New Facilities
Despite these challenges, the city is committed to supporting the sport, which has gained popularity, especially among expats from India. For example, the cricket facilities at Sportpark Dommeldal Zuid are being expanded. The central cricket pitch was replaced this year, and new batting cages are being built at the sports park, where the VV Gestel football club is based.
Indoor sports
The municipality has also put money into indoor cricket facilities, the college reported. Additional cricket mats and nets have been purchased at the Indoor Sports Centre on the Aalsterweg, and the intention is to further expand the current number. This is also badly needed because training now takes place in the sports hall every weekday evening.
Therefore, the municipality will also investigate whether cricket facilities at other sports halls can be expanded. There is also an ongoing investigation into the possibility of constructing a shared football/cricket pitch at Sportpark Bokt in Woensel.
In the region
Whether there is enough space to provide all the cricket facilities needed within the city limits, the college dare not say. If the growing popularity of the sport continues, it is also possible that space could be made at neighbouring municipalities in the region to facilitate cricket.
Source: Studio040
For Eindhoven News: Chaitali Sengupta.
