THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Now, weather can no longer determine the fate of a football match in the city. An artificial turf, with the additional benefit of easy drainage of pooled water during rain, has come up in the city. The brainchild of two techies, Fives Football Court, equipped with floodlight facility, has been set up at Kazhakootam. Balagopal Sadasivan and Jinu Babu have also funded their 
project.

Safe surface, low-cost, less maintenance, durable and resistance to any weather condition are some of the 
advantages of the turf. The court has a capacity to accommodate 10 players (5 from each team). A similar turf is under construction near the present one. 

"The total cost of the project is Rs 40 lakh. The lack of a playground was a major issue but with the launch of the turf, players can use it anytime as per their convenience. They are environment-friendly too," said Balagopal, co-founder of Friday Football Club (FFC). As for its durability, these turfs have a greater resistance to extreme temperatures than natural grass. It dries more quickly as it has a superior drainage system. The highlight of the play arena is its uniform surface. And for the possibility of injury, it is completely safe due to its cushion base.

The court will be available from 6 am to 11 pm. The fee structure is Rs 1,200 without floodlight and Rs 1,500 with floodlights for an hour. The turf has been registered in 'Playo app' so that interested teams can book their slots.

Futsal 2018
A football tournament 'Futsal 2018' exclusively for the techies began on Thursday. The tournament is being organised by the Friday FC. This year's tournament will be played at the new artificial turf.  As many as 40 teams from the city have already registered for this 14-day-long tournament. Mayor VK Prasanth will inaugurate the event.