THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:The Ramanathan Krishnan Tennis Academy at Kumarapuram which was constructed at a cost of RS 3 crore two years ago now wears a deserted look. The academy which was aimed at providing state-of-the-art facilities for tennis enthusiasts now wears a deserted look. Out of the four courts, only one is usable while the remaining three lies in a dilapidated state.
The Academy which is situated adjacent to the Medical College and Govt HSS was a hub of activities in the past. National tournaments and other coaching classes were held regularly.Ramanathan Krishnan, on whom the tennis academy was named after, wanted the centre to become a hub of excellence.
Two years ago, it was a venue for the National Games which witnessed a number of achievements. “Earlier there were four courts. We wanted to provide a roofing for the other three courts so that the players could play even during the rainy season. The proposal is still pending,” said Sanjayan Kumar, director of Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs.
The district administration, with the help of the District Tennis Association conducted tennis coaching for about 300 boys and girls supervised by trained coaches. Training was given for a nominal fee and children from economically backward families were also given free coaching and equipment to hone their talents. The tennis courts which had eight synthetic layers with cushions are all damaged beyond repair because of heavy machinery work that was carried out to erect the roofing of the courts. The fencing was also damaged in the process.
“When the work began for the erection of a roof, the sides had to be covered with panels. As work is pending, we can only coach the students in one court. Now only 65 students are left. The advanced players had to be shifted to other venues because of lack of facilities,” said Biju Mani, head coach.
A clay court was also set up at the academy to enable adults to practice. Eight adults could utilise the floodlit stadium at particular timings but now they have all been shifted to other courts such as the Trivandrum Tennis Club in Kowdiar. Biju said, “When the work is over, the facility will be made available for 24 hours for more number of people. Only after the work is completed at a faster pace, the academy can restart its activities.”
In the wake of the delay, there is also a dispute regarding the ownership of the land between the University of Kerala, Medical college and the Govt HSS as it falls within the area.“The argument is still going on and the authorities are yet to come to a conclusion. However, we are expecting the work to be completed soon,” said Sanjayan.
The construction work of the court is being carried out under the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs who are trying to raise the academy to international standards. After the roofing and other work is completed, more number of programmes will be included and many trained coaches will be also appointed.
Rs 3 crore was the cost incurred. The height of the building is about 20 metres and the roofing is being done at the cost of Rs 1 crore. Initially the strength of players was 300. Now, only 65 students are left.