COLOMBO: The Sri Lankan government said on Friday that the country’s picturesque Galle cricket stadium might not exist for long as its pavilion stand has been enveloped by a 17th century Dutch fort that has violated heritage laws, AFP reports.
The fort is likely to lose its UNESCO World Heritage status due to its illegal construction, which also includes the pavilion having 500 seats.
To counter this, the government is considering building another stadium in Galle.
“We have to decide if we want to remain in the World Heritage list or keep the pavilion,” Sri Lanka’s cultural affairs minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe said.
“We could have another cricket ground in Galle soon,” he added.
Four years after the 2004 Tsunami that killed 31,000 people in Sri Lanka and especially many in Galle due to the city’s proximity to the sea, the stadium’s pavilion was formed in 2008 as part of its rehabilitation.
Sri Lanka’s sports minister confirmed that the fort was of primary importance, but cricket won’t be affected because of it.
“There will be no immediate demolition of the Galle Stadium,” Sports Minister Faiszer Musthapha said.
“We want to maintain the World Heritage status for the fort. We will work out an alternative” for the cricket stadium, he added.
Reportedly, official sources reckon that Sri Lanka’s Test match against England in November at the venue could be its last ever.
