Dibrugarh, Jan 24: Assam state BJP general secretary and Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) chairman Rutuparna Baruah on Saturday took stock of the Khanikor stadium in Dibrugarh ahead of its inauguration on January 30 by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
The Khanikar Stadium is set to emerge as Assam’s largest multi-sports arena, marking a significant leap in the state’s sports infrastructure.
The first phase of the mega project—developed at an estimated cost of ₹233 crore across 104 bighas—will be formally inaugurated on January 30 by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
Work on the comprehensive upgrade began in 2019 with the objective of transforming the legacy venue into a modern, world-class sporting hub. In its initial phase, the stadium will accommodate approximately 5,000 spectators, with future phases planned to expand the seating capacity to nearly 35,000.
Conceived as a state-of-the-art multi-sports complex, the facility will offer advanced training and practice amenities for swimming, athletics, football and several other disciplines, providing young athletes with a contemporary platform to develop their skills.
The inauguration of the first phase is expected to be a landmark moment for Dibrugarh, giving a major boost to sports culture and infrastructure across Upper Assam. Ahead of the ceremony, the stadium site was inspected to assess preparedness and progress.
The inspection was attended by Dibrugarh District Sports Association president Niranjan Saikia, senior association officials, and engineers and officers of the Public Works Department, including the Executive Engineer.
Once fully completed, the complex will feature a main gallery, an indoor stadium, hostel facilities, a VIP block, a swimming pool and other world-class amenities. The project is aligned with the state government’s broader vision to strengthen sports infrastructure and promote youth engagement across Assam.
Originally envisioned during the tenure of former Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the project was initiated on July 5, 2018, to lay the foundation for a stronger sporting future in the state.
With an initial investment of around ₹210 crore, the first phase stands completed, and subsequent phases are slated to take the stadium’s capacity to 35,000 spectators, as confirmed by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The completion of Khanikar Stadium is widely viewed as a transformative step toward positioning Dibrugarh as a major sporting destination in Assam, capable of hosting large-scale events while nurturing local talent.
Speaking to reporters, Rituparna Baruah said, “The multidisciplinary sports complex in Khanikar phase-I will be inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on January 30. On March 1, 2019, the foundation stone of the stadium was layed by former chief minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal. The stadium was built in 105 bighas of land. We know that among the 105 bighas 55 bighas were VGR land and it is very difficult to construct anything on VGR land. But we have converted the 55 bighas of VGR land to Bogibeel,”.
“We are very much happy that the Phase-1 of the stadium has been completed and ready for inauguration,” Baruah said.
