KOCHI: The heart and soul of football, the Beautiful Game as it is known, are the players, the ball and the pitch. Better the quality of each element, better is the quality of football on offer.
That is perhaps why the trainees of the Kerala State Sports Council-run Government Sports Academy in Panampilly Nagar were elated when their training ground in the city, which was close to unplayable for years, was renovated as one of the training grounds for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
“For a long time, we did not have a ground. But now we have an excellent facility where we can play to our full potential and without the fear of getting injured,” Galin Joshi, one of the trainees said. However, whether the government will spend the sum needed for the maintenance of the grass turf, in the long run, is a matter that he thinks is doubtful.
However, the news that the Kochi-based Indian Super League (ISL) club Kerala Blasters are on the verge of reaching an agreement with the Sports Council to maintain the ground comes as music to the ears of 18-year-old Galin and his friends.
As many as 25 trainees of the academy are very excited. The Blasters have already undertaken several initiatives for the grassroots level development of football in the state. The trainees have good reasons to breath a sigh of relief as many facilities, which had been built for various sporting events, have become dilapidated following long periods of neglect.
The trainees now have a world-class practice ground along with the existing hostel and other adjoining facilities. They can also now catch their team Blasters every day -- interact with the stars and observe their training sessions. Blasters reach the ground every day usually between 5 pm and 7 pm.
“Tying up with Blasters has been a very beneficial move as far as the future of the ground and the hostel is considered. We would have found it difficult to maintain the renovated ground and a helping hand from the club is very much welcome,” said Ernakulam District Sports Council secretary P Anilkumar. “We feel the chance to see their favourite players at close quarters and watching them train on almost a daily basis will help and inspire them,” added Anilkumar.