Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday inaugurated the newly built International Cricket Stadium (ICS) at Rajgir in Nalanda district, marking a major leap in the state’s sporting infrastructure. The event took place at the State Sports Academy, Rajgir, where the CM also unveiled the pavilion and inspected the cricket ground. Players and officials welcomed Kumar with applause as he toured the newly constructed facility. The chief minister took stock of the arrangements, enquiring about amenities and the quality of the infrastructure. The stadium, constructed across 18 acres, can accommodate nearly 40,000 spectators and includes a five-storey (G+5) pavilion, six red-soil pitches sourced from Maharashtra, and seven black-soil pitches from Mokama. According to an official statement, “The ICS at Rajgir has been constructed on 18 acres of land with seating arrangements for approximately 40,000 spectators. A pavilion (G+5) has been constructed in the stadium. Six pitches have been prepared with red soil brought from Maharashtra and another seven pitches with black soil from Mokama. A drainage system has been developed for water drainage from the field during the rainy season. Construction work in the cricket stadium has been ensured keeping in mind the basic facilities for players and spectators.” It added, “The stadium will have modern facilities, including a special pavilion for players, reserved seating arrangements for coaches and managers, special stands for VVIP guests and a dedicated gallery for media. This ground, prepared according to BCCI standards, is fully capable of hosting national and international matches. This stadium will not only give new heights to sports culture in Bihar but will also establish Rajgir on the map of national and international sports tourism. This stadium will soon be capable of hosting international cricket matches.” Read also: BCCI House Divided Over Rohit-Virat Future: Reports Bihar honours medalists; Rajgir to boost sports culture The newly inaugurated stadium also features reserved seating for coaches and managers, VVIP stands, and a dedicated media gallery. The CM’s office confirmed that the facility was built to elevate Bihar’s presence on India’s sporting map and foster sports tourism in Rajgir. In a concurrent felicitation event, Nitish Kumar handed out government appointment letters to 87 medal-winning athletes and distributed ₹8 crore in sports awards among 812 sportspersons. Under the ‘Medal Lao, Naukri Pao’ scheme, players achieving distinction in national and international tournaments were offered government jobs. Of the 87 appointees, 39 are women and 48 men, assigned to departments suited to their qualifications. Ten sportspersons, including Anshika Kumari, Sapna Kumari, and Neeraj Kumar, symbolically received their appointment letters as Sub-Inspectors. Additionally, Shailesh Kumar received ₹75 lakh, Bobby Kumar ₹35 lakh, and Goldy Kumari ₹10 lakh for their international achievements. With this, Bihar reinforced its commitment to rewarding excellence and promoting sports as a viable career path.