Reply With Quote
Sachin Tendulkar's dream for a sporting nation may stumble on ground realities
Sachin Tendulkar may have chosen Kochi over all other teams in the upcoming Indian Super League (ISL) matches to be held in September this year, but football fans in Kochi feel there's a long way to go before football can take off as a sport to rival cricket, in Kerala.
While one group foresees the move as a sure resurrection of football in Kerala, others point out that the infrastructure for football in the state has now deteriorated to such an extent over the years that the existing players have no means of proper practice. "Yes, there is talent here, and there is an audience waiting for such big league matches to happen here but where are the grounds?" asks P Paulose, the Ernakulam District Football Association secretary and a former Santhosh Trophy player.
Apparently, the ISL rules stipulate that 4 out of the 11 players in each team will be from within India, and Kerala being one of the football hubs of the country, there are strong chances of Kerala players being part of the teams. "But a player has to at least have the minimum requirement to play in an international match, like an 'elevens' ground to practice on. The grounds we have currently are all 'sevens' grounds," Paulose says.
However, Kerala Football Association secretary Anil Kumar feels that there are football grounds in Kochi, but they need to be renovated. The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium was originally built to be a football stadium, in the year 1996, he points out. "In 1995, the then Chief Minister K Karunakaran was watching a Santhosh Trophy football match at the Maharaja's college ground when the crowd got out of control. A police lathicharge followed, and Karunakaran announced then and there that Kochi would have a proper football stadium the next year. However, both the football association and the cricket association are in charge of the maintenance, and owing to the latter having more funds to shell out, the stadium gradually became a cricket stadium."
The VIP stands, media stands and even the dressing rooms of the stadium are positioned in accordance with a football stadium even now, he says. According to him, holding a football match is not the issue but practising can be, since the rest of the grounds are still not football friendly.
"We have zeroed in on eight grounds in Kochi and one of them will be ready for the ISL match by September. The rest of the grounds too will be upgraded to international levels by 2017, according to the instructions of the FIFA team which visited recently. All we need is the permission from the authorities concerned -the Sports Council, the college authorities etc."
The Ambedkar Stadium was supposed to be renovated but the GCDA reportedly has no money to go about it. "We have been hearing about the renovation for years now, but so far it has remained on paper. We just hope the ISL will give them the much needed jolt," says Seena C V, football coach and former player.
But the football club representatives still maintain that the said grounds in colleges invariably ask for rent, which the clubs cannot afford. "At present, we play at the various 'sevens' grounds in the city, which cannot prepare you for the real game. The various school grounds around are being increasingly sold for high rises and shopping complexes," says Paulose. Unless the government takes an interest in the issue, there is absolutely no hope for football in Kerala, he adds.
While all and sundry connected with football are hoping that the magical name of Sachin will change things around for the sport, Coach Seena mentions the excitement it has fostered in young players. "Sachin's name will definitely be a boost, because ever since the news broke, all the kids in my football academy have been asking us whether they can get a glimpse of Sachin at the matches." The master blaster has worked wonders with his bat, here's hoping that his name changes things around for football, in Kerala!
Originally Posted by MeoW
