NEW DELHI: The much awaited East Delhi Premier League (EDPL) began on Tuesday at the newly redeveloped Yamuna Sports complex. The grand opening ceremony of the first of its kind cricket premier league was inaugurated by the East Delhi MP and former cricketer Gautam Gambhir.
Speaking at the event the former cricketer said, "Sports development cannot just take place by schemes and awards. It requires world class infrastructure and facilities to nurture young talent. India can become a sporting nation only if such young talent get adequate platforms."
The vision behind EDPL is to promote sports among the public and provide a platform with state of art facilities for budding cricketers from all backgrounds to showcase their talent. "The inaugural EDPL will pave the way for many such tournaments and EDPL itself will become bigger and better," said Gambhir.
About 10 teams from each assembly constituency willcompete with each other. The winning team will win a cash of Rs 30 lakh, while the runner up will be awarded with Rs 20 lakh case prize.
"This tournament is for each and every player of East Delhi who was not able to showcase his talent due to lack of resources. I promised to bring modern sports infrastructure to East Delhi. Trials are being held for every player who has registered for the tournament. Your background, gear, nothing matters except your talent. This is the league of the masses," said Gambhir.