Sports gaining ground

KOCHI: From the inaugural Pro Volleyball League to the much-popular Indian Super League, events kept Kochi’s sports scene busy in the year that passed by. And it looks to get busier with two government bodies announcing their plan to set up modern facilities in the district --- to organise competitions and promote talents.While the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) has proposed a sports hub at the Ambedkar Stadium in its latest budget, the District Sports Council (DSC) plans to build an indoor stadium in the picturesque Ramanthuruth, near the Bolgatty Island.

Ambedkar Stadium
Ambedkar Stadium, situated adjacent to the KSRTC bus station, is yet to achieve its full potential. Though the stadium got a new turf worth `5 crore under FIFA’s ‘Win in India with India’ project, it did not bring about the desired change. “The stadium has been in a bad shape and we wanted to give it a new lease of life. By creating the sports hub, we want to make it a modern training venue for various sports disciplines. We also aim to provide children with the best facilities on the seven-acre ground,” said GCDA chairman V Saleem. He said the authority has forwarded the proposal to the government and is awaiting nod.
“Once we get the green light, we’ll prepare a detailed project report,” he added.The GCDA will have to sign an agreement with the All India Football Federation and FIFA before embarking on the renovation process as the turf is still being used.

Indoor stadium
DSC President P V Sreenijin said the indoor stadium was initially planned as a part of the government’s plan to set up sports infrastructure all over the state. “But the government decided to build the stadium in Muvattupuzha, in the eastern parts of the district. So the Ramanthuruth may be included in a different project,” he said. Sreenijin said Ramanthuruth is an ideal choice for the stadium. “Be it indoor events or aqua disciplines like kayaking, Ramanthuruth is a perfect sporting destination. Five families are residing near the stadium and they too can avail the new facilities,” says Sreenijin.

Renovation of  Ambedkar Stadium 
Spread over seven acres, the stadium, situated in the heart of Kochi, was renovated first in 2014. An artificial surface was laid by an Italian company which has a tie-up with FIFA to lay synthetic football fields. The turfing was done free of cost under FIFA’s ‘Win in India with India’ project that envisages the development of basic infrastructure in places where football is 
popular.