KOCHI: The long-standing dream of an exclusive venue for football in the city is becoming a reality with the Greater Cochin Development Authority deciding to sign, within two months, a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kerala Football Association and the Kerala State Sports Council to renovate the Ambedkar Stadium to international standards.The project included was part of the proposal forwarded by the KFA to stake a claim in India’s bid for the 2017 FIFA under-17 world cup. “An in-principle agreement was reached for converting the Ambedkar Stadium into an international stadium exclusively for football at a meeting held in Thiruvananthapuram earlier this week,” the GCDA chairman-designate N Venugopal told City Express on Friday.Industries Minister Kunhalikutty, Sports Minister K B Ganesh Kumar, Excise Minister K Babu, MLAs from the district Hibi Eden, Benny Behanan and Dominic Presentation, GCDA secretary George Vallakalil, Mayor Tony Chammany and KFA president K M I Mather, apart from Venugopal, were present at the meeting.A proposal from the FIFA to fund an artificial turf, along with a regional academy, had long been pending with the KFA, who were so far unable to point out a venue for the project.Venugopal said that the stadium would be meant exclusively for football and no other event would be allowed.“The FIFA will be spending about Rs 10 crore for converting the stadium into a venue of international standards. The KFA will have the right to the stadium for 160 days,” he said, adding that the stadium would be given for matches organised by others, in a manner suitable for a football field. It is also learnt that the contract is likely to be for 20 years.He said that the GCDA would hold further talks with the state sports department and the KFA for finalising the details.
Comments
0 comment