Football stadium, not wedding convention center

The AFC Asian Cup football match between India and Hong Kong is scheduled to be held on the 31st of this month at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi. Ahead of this, Indian football team coach Khalid Jameel, who had come to hold a press conference, was sent back without being allowed entry into the stadium. The action was in response to not paying the stadium rent and security deposit. The incident has left a big stain on Kerala's sporting tradition. Such unseemly behaviour came from the Greater Kochi Development Authority (GCDA), the stadium operator. A few days ago, the owners of the Kerala Blasters football team also faced similar embarrassment.

The GCDA demanded Rs. 3 lakh as rent and Rs 25 lakh as security deposit to hold the international competition.

Although the Kerala Football Association agreed to pay the said amount, the GCDA was adamant that the entire amount be paid in advance. The coach of the Indian team waited at the stadium for a long time, not knowing whether the press conference would take place. The Malayali players of the Indian team, who had left the hotel to attend the press conference, had to return halfway, embarrassed, after learning about this incident!

It is appalling that it is not an ordinary team, but the national football team and the coach who had to experience this embarrassment. The doors of the stadium, built with the tax money of Indian citizens, were slammed shut in front of the national team. In 1994, the then Chief Minister K. Karunakaran took the initiative to build such a stadium in Kaloor to enhance Kerala's sporting tradition. It was a source of pride for the country that Kochi, over the years, became the venue for international cricket matches, football matches, and tournaments like ISL and IPL.

GCDA, the sole operator of this stadium under the Local Self-Government Department, proved that filling its own pockets carries priority over amplifying sports tradition in the state. Rather than providing a stadium for players, the GCDA's eyes profit from collecting rent by organising music events and celebrations. An MLA was seriously injured recently after falling from a podium in the same stadium that was used for a dance event. For damage to the turf or a fault on the chair in the gallery, the GCDA waits no time to demand money. The stadium gates collapsed just days after renovation carried out by a private company in the pretext of welcoming Lionel Messi. This clearly shows the responsibility of the GCDA in the safety and security of the stadium.

When the Kerala Blasters went stadium hunting, it was GCDA officials who asked the team to return to their old turf in Kochi. The team, when returned to Kochi, had to pay an increased rent than before, thanks to GCDA.

There is no dearth of news on how difficult life is for a budding sports talent in the country. Food is scarce in sports hostels; players face difficulty in attending national competitions due to a lack of transport funds; good shoes or other sports equipment are a luxury for many. And adding insult to those injuries come such untoward behaviours demoralising the sports prodigies.

What is built in Kaloor is not a wedding convention centre. The stadium is ranked among the finest in the country, and closing doors on the national team should be the last thing to do.