Haldwani – The Uttarakhand T20 cricket league scheduled at Gaulapar Cricket Stadium in Haldwani was postponed on Tuesday, triggering protests by spectators who reached the venue to watch the opening match and later demanded a refund of ticket and parking fees.
The opening ceremony was scheduled at 5 pm at the IGI Sports Complex, followed by a match between Uttarakhand Soldiers and Delhi Knights at 6:30 pm. Spectators started arriving at the stadium around 4 pm. Despite the stadium having a seating capacity of nearly 10,000, only a handful of spectators were inside, while folk singers and dance artists were present for the inauguration.
After 6 pm, spectators were stopped at the stadium gate. Event staff later informed them that the match had been postponed. This led to strong protests, with spectators demanding refunds of the Rs 200 ticket amount along with parking charges of Rs 200 for cars and Rs 50 for two-wheelers. The situation escalated as ticket counter staff reportedly left the area, and protests continued outside the stadium for nearly two hours. Police personnel were later deployed to control the situation.
Many cricket fans expressed anger and disappointment over the handling of the event. Suresh Chandra from Gaulapar said, “I brought my wife to watch the match on her request. First we were made to wait outside for two hours, and now the match has been postponed.”
Another spectator, Mamta Devi from Gaulapar, said, “We paid Rs 200 for the ticket and additional parking charges. Now they are saying the match has been postponed. This was our first time coming to watch a live match.”
Rajesh Shah from Haldwani block said, “I received messages changing the match time repeatedly. First it was 4:30 pm, then 5 pm, then 7 pm. We even paid Rs 200 for car parking, but nothing happened.”
Rishabh Kumar from Gaulapar said he could not even get a ticket and was told at the counter that the match had been postponed.
In response to the protest, organisers announced that the tickets purchased would be valid for matches scheduled two days later. However, spectators remained dissatisfied as no players from either team reached the stadium, increasing doubts over the event’s preparedness.
Organiser Vikas Dhaka said the league was postponed due to the sudden death of league partner Pramod Singh. “Our partner Pramod Singh passed away due to a heart attack in Delhi while he was on his way to Haldwani. Due to this unfortunate incident, we decided to postpone the league. The matches will now start from February 5,” he said, adding that former Indian cricketer Praveen Kumar and other players are currently staying at a hotel.
Deputy Director of Sports Rashika Siddiqui said all arrangements at the stadium were in place. “The organisers booked the stadium for 10 days by paying Rs 12.39 lakh and deposited Rs 10 lakh as security money. The match could not be held due to the organisers’ personal circumstances,” she said.
