Former India cricketer and current BJP MP Gautam Gambhir on Thursday "set the record straight", saying that the archery ground at the Yamuna Sports Complex in New Delhi will be upgraded and not converted to a cricket stadium, after a video shared by him earlier raised concerns among top archers like Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das. "East Delhi ready for Pro Cricket!" Gambhir had written earlier, sharing a video of the ground. Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das both pleaded with him not to convert it into a cricket stadium, stating that it is "the best archery ground in Asia".
"To set the record straight. Yamuna Sports Ground has not been converted but only upgraded. Archery & other sports will continue like before," Gambhir tweeted on Thursday.
"Being a sportsman myself, will never let anything hamper the growth of any sportsman!," he added.
"I became Deepika in this ground in 2010 Commonwealth Games. Please do not make this Archery Ground to a Cricket Ground. This is the one of the best Archery Ground in Asia. International Archery tournaments can be happen here," world No.1 Deepika Kumari had tweeted, responding to Gambhir's original tweet.
"Please do not make this Archery Ground to a Cricket Ground. We have very few good grounds and this is one of the best Archery ground in Asia. 2010 Commonwealth Games Happened here. Where Should We archers go?" Atanu Das, Kumari's husband, had written.
Deepika Kumari won three gold medals in the recent Archery World Cup, including one in the recurve mixed team event with Atanu Das.
Both of them will be representing India in the Tokyo Olympics.