Eisenhower Park Stadium in Nassau County, New York will host the India vs Pakistan World Cup match
new york:
Nassau County in New York will impose unprecedented security measures for the T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan scheduled for June 9 due to the threat of a terror attack in the city, but Governor Kathy Hawkle insists this is unlikely “at this time”.
The Eisenhower Park Stadium in Nassau County will host eight matches in the finals, including three for India. India will also play a warm-up match against Bangladesh on June 1.
New York Governor Kathy Hawkle said she had ordered state police to step up security to ensure crowd safety.
“In preparation for the World Cup, my team has been working with federal and local law enforcement to ensure the safety of participants. While there are no credible threats at this time, I have directed @nyspolice to increase security measures and will continue to monitor as the event approaches,” Hawkle said in X’s post.
CNN reports that New York authorities are taking security measures “following global threats against the World Cup from the terrorist group ISIS-K earlier this year.”
Nassau County Police Chief Patrick Ryder said Wednesday that the event received an ISIS-K-related threat in April.
“This was followed by a more specific threat about the India-Pakistan match scheduled for June 9 and also a reference to a circulating video online calling for ‘that lone wolf to take action’,” the report said.
“I can assure you this, this is the most security we have had to undertake in the history of this county, and I can assure you that the safest place in Nassau County on June 9th will be inside the stadium,” Ryder said in the report.
Nassau County Mayor Bruce Blakeman described the mega event, which is expected to draw a large international crowd, as a “Super Bowl on steroids.”
“We have teams coming from all over the world. We have fans coming to Nassau County from all over the world. We’ve been meeting regularly for over six months to discuss any safety concerns, any health concerns that might come up with an event of this magnitude,” Blakeman said. “We take any and all threats seriously. We have the same procedures for any and all threats.”
Blakeman also cited the county’s efforts to maintain law enforcement in coordination with federal partners, including the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security.
“To that end, we have taken numerous precautions while ensuring the safety of the stadium and the surrounding Eisenhower Park,” he said.
Rohit Sharma’s side will begin their campaign against Ireland on June 5, followed by a tough clash with Pakistan on June 9.
The team will then face host nation USA on June 12.
The terrorism threat against the event was first revealed by Trinidad’s Prime Minister Keith Rowley, and the ICC responded by insisting that strong security measures were in place to ensure the event ran smoothly.
“The safety and security of all event attendees is our top priority, and we have implemented a comprehensive and robust security plan.
“We are working closely with host country authorities to continuously monitor and assess the global situation and ensure that appropriate plans are in place to mitigate any identified risks to our event,” the ICC said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
