Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in need of make over

KOCHI: Even as the whole of Kerala goes gaga over Kochi playing host to Under-17 FIFA World Cup, the atmosphere currently prevailing at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium even after hosting One-Day Internationals, IPL and ISL, leaves a lot to be desired. The GCDA has floated tenders for 90 percent of the projects for sprucing up the stadium and its facilities and its immediate surroundings. However, an arduous task awaits GCDA, Kochi Corporation and the nodal officer of the event Mr Mohammed Haneesh as many parts of the immediate outer area are waterlogged, slushy and unkempt and not even in a position for a morning walker to peacefully complete his rounds.

"The condition of the venue currently is that it occasionally only hosts international events and hence it is not kept entirely for sports purposes. Trade fairs, exhibitions and other such events too are conducted in the outer area of the ground for which tents are pitched. GCDA is gaining revenue on account of a lot of business activities on the premises. However, it is not making a serious attempt to keep the venue tidy so that morning walkers can use it safely and major preparations can be avoided when major matches come," said Retheesh Kumar, a football fan in Kochi.

The presence of stray dogs is another major menace. "The authorities have to do a neat work in the months to come so that the JN Stadium becomes a truly international venue," he said. St Albert's College hockey team players who practice at their ground adjoining the JN Stadium complained that their ground which was used for car parking during ISL matches has become uneven and muddy while many beer bottles could be spotted there.

"It poses a threat to us who practice there since broken glass pieces can pierce into the feet," said a player. Nodal officer Mohammed Haneesh told DC that GCDA and the Kochi Corporation have to work in close co-ordination in the months to come to change the situation. "As the nodal officer I will co-ordinate the activities and our goal is to change the face of the stadium," Mr Haneesh said.