The International Sports Summit Kerala (ISSK), which began on January 24 in Thiruvananthapuram, has attracted technical teams from Real Madrid, a Swedish group, and several international sporting giants, as well as numerous high-profile investors, bringing in ₹1,700 crore on the first day alone.
The programme, the first of its type in the country, intends to develop a sports economy and nurture future athletic stars, with the goal of drawing ₹5,000 crore in investment to Kerala, according to authorities.
“Our idea is to create a sports economy and develop players at the grassroots level by establishing training grounds and playgrounds at the Panchayat level, and to attract international expertise and investment to the state,” V Abdurahiman, the state’s sports minister, stated.
Kerala Got a Number of Investments
At the investors’ meeting on Tuesday, twenty-three proposals were submitted. This includes a Rs 800 crore project from Meerans Group in association with Kerala Football Association (KFA), a Rs 650 crore multi-purpose sports complex of Lords Football Academy in Kochi, and a Rs 300 crore project of 13th Foundation, led by former India footballers CK Vineeth, Rino Anto, NP Pradeep, and Muhammad Rafi.
This is in addition to the Kerala Cricket Association’s (KCA) Rs 1,200 crore project, which includes plans to build a new cricket stadium in Kochi as part of a sports city in Chengamanad. Investors are seeking government approval for most athletic infrastructure projects, which have already selected sites for construction.
Meerans Group plans to develop eight football stadiums and four training facilities around the state. Eight stadiums are being built in Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Kasaragod. Meanwhile, Premier Group, which administers the conference centre and other amenities at the Greenfield Stadium, has suggested a Rs. 450 crore proposal to build a 60,000-capacity football stadium in Kozhikode.
Other major potential investments in the state’s sports infrastructure include the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA), No Scope Gaming, the Jellyfish project, the Moolans Group, and the Keraleeyam Motor Sports Association.
Kerala’s Potential and previous Investment
According to the Minister, Kerala has enormous potential for sports development because of its real interest in athletic activities. “On the first day of ISSK itself, we secured 1,700 crore worth of investment in the field of sports,” he said.
The state is also looking at the prospects of sports tourism through the summit. “We have immense potential in water sports development, given our 596 km long coastline,” remarked the secretary of state. He stated that the government intends to generate 10,000 employment in the field of sports each year and is establishing the Kerala Institute of Sports at Calicut University, which would provide sports degrees.
Over the previous seven years, the Kerala government has made significant investments in sports development, with the goal of implementing 1,000 projects, one every Panchayat.
Alejandro Diaz De La Rosa, Manager of PA Team Soccer SL in Spain, who formerly worked for Real Madrid, believes that India has to give players and coaches more time to meet international standards.
“Changes will not happen overnight. We must provide them with adequate time and instruction. I am convinced that given India and Kerala’s potential, they can excel in any sport. “We’re thrilled to work with Kerala on football development,” De La Rosa stated.
What does Kerala CM say about this?
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan stated on Tuesday that the state government intends to grow sports as a sector that may significantly contribute to Kerala’s economy. On Tuesday, he opened the maiden International Sports Summit Kerala at the Greenfield Stadium in Karyavattom.
Encouraging investment and embracing new ideas may boost the sports economy. We should also be able to draw more private enterprises and start-ups to the sports industry. The government is hoping that the talks emanating from this summit would contribute in reaching this goal,” added the chief minister.
He admitted that establishing a sports economy is a difficult challenge. However, he believes that Kerala offers a good environment for this. Kerala is a state with a prominent presence in international sports. As a result, if we all work together, we can achieve our aim,” he said.
“Kerala has produced some stars who have earned significant results at the national and international levels. The state has also produced well-known coaches and referees. We are also ahead in sports studies. Malayalis are known as among of the world’s top sports aficionados. We seen this at the Qatar World Cup. Argentina, the world champions, thanked Kerala supporters for their support.
Comments 1