The renovated Duraiappah Stadium, named after the former Mayor of Jaffna who was shot dead by the now slain LTTE chief V. Prabhakaran, will be inaugurated by Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will join the event through video conferencing.

Alfred Durraiappah was shot dead by Prabhakaran on July 29, 1975 while he was entering the Varadaraja Perumal temple in Ponnalai at the beginning of Prabhakaran's career in militancy.

The stadium has been unused since 1997 at the height of militancy in Sri Lanka. It has been renovated by the Indian Government at a cost of Rs 7 crore as part of efforts to help rebuild the lives of Sri Lankan Tamils.

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President of Sri Lanka, Maithripala Sirisena, will jointly dedicate the newly renovated Duraiappah stadium in Jaffna to the people of Sri Lanka. President Sirisena will be present at the stadium in Jaffna and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will join the event through video-conferencing from New Delhi,” an official statement said.

The renovated stadium has a seating capacity of 1,850 people and will provide necessary infrastructure to promote sports and recreational activities and assist the overall development of the youth of the Northern Province.

Modi and Sirisena will also witness the first major event at the renovated stadium, which is a celebration of the second International Day of Yoga. Over 8,000 people are expected to participate in the Yoga Demonstration.

(With inputs from Deccan Chronicle)